The Hunger Games
by TracyCook
Summary: Bonnie Bennett was devastated when her little sister Rue died in the hunger games. She barely managed to pull it together only to find out the following year she was going to the games. During training she meets an older man from District 1 named Damon Salvatore and instantly hates him. Eventually feelings develop between them. But, can they survive the hunger games? Bamon romance!
1. The Grim Reaping

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter One**

**The Grim Reaping**

_**'I Walked The Dark Path Of Cursed And Lonely Memories.**_

_**Clinging To The Branches Of Hope, I Fell Into An Eternity Of Emptiness.'**_

The annual hunger games were coming back around, and the memories they brought with them were nauseating.

She could recall the day like it had just happened. The day that she watched her little sister die onscreen before the entirety of Panem. The Capitol undoubtedly cheered as the District 11 tribute met her unfortunate end. They all expected it. No one from their district lasted very long in the games. They were malnourished and they didn't have time to train.

They spent every hour of every day working.

Rue had survived longer than most, which was an amazing feat for someone that was only twelve years old. As Bonnie watched the games she had so much hope that her little sister was going to be one of the few from their district that came out on top. She was so strong and clever.

But, like so many before her, she had fallen.

She watched the woman who held her dying sister in her arms with envy and anger. She wanted to be there for her. She wanted to be the one comforting her as she took her final breath. She had convinced herself that if she would have gone in her place, or if she would have been there, she could have changed the outcome.

"Get back to work." One of the peacekeepers shouted at her, pointing a gun in her direction.

Bonnie chewed on her cheeks and she refocused on picking the vegetables out of the garden. She knew the penalty all too well for slacking off on the job. The Capitol had been harsher with their district ever since her sister's death. The people in District 11 were devastated by the loss of Rue. They thought that it was wrong to send an innocent twelve year old girl off to her inevitable death. They had rebelled against the peacekeepers. They had rebelled against the Capitol.

In turn, they became even more violent.

Her green eyes landed on one of the tomatoes as she pulled it from the branch. She gripped it firmly in her hand. She could remember the time that she was so desperate to feed her family that she attempted to steal from the gardens.

_**'Bonnie Bennett was only ten years old. But, she didn't get to live the life of a child. She didn't get to play. Her mind was filled with worries about her family and keeping them alive. Her mother had given up on them a long time ago. She had stopped caring to provide food and clothes for them. She had stopped educating them. All she did was lay in bed.**_

_**She relied on Bonnie to do the work. **_

_**She relied on her to bring home the money in order to feed the family. **_

_**Her mother had just had another child. She didn't bother to take care of them, but she continued to give birth to them. This was Bonnie's third little sibling and that meant there were more mouths to feed and she was more desperate than ever to get enough money to feed them.**_

_**That day, working in the garden, there were plenty of tomatoes to go around.**_

**_There were hundreds._**

**_She didn't understand how the Capitol would miss one or two._**

**_Bonnie waited for the peacekeepers to turn away from her, and then she started to walk out of the garden like she normally would at the end of her shift. She held her chin up confidently and she tried her hardest not to draw any attention to her. But, one of them spotted her. He moved toward her quickly, wielding the gun and preparing to shoot if she did not stop._**

**_"Halt!" _**

**_She stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes. Preparing for the worst._**

**_"What do you think that you are doing with those?" The peacekeeper asked as he neared her. _**

**_"I'm so sorry. I didn't think it would be a big deal if I took a few of them. My family hasn't eaten anything all week." She tried her hardest to explain the situation, but the peacekeepers had no sympathy. They didn't care that she was starving. They didn't care that her little sisters and brother would die if she didn't feed them._**

**_"Your family is none of our concern." He said. "All of the food from District 11 is to be delivered to the Capitol. Anyone caught stealing the food is to be punished for their crimes."_**

**_Bonnie had tears streaming down her cheeks as she held out the tomatoes to him. "You can have them back! Just please, don't hurt me!"_**

**_Two of the peacekeepers reached out and grabbed onto her arms, dragging her out of the garden toward the center of the district. People noticed that someone was being punished, and they gathered around to watch in horror as the ten year old girl was tied to the pillar. They didn't hold back as they whipped her. Her skin was torn from her shoulders and she was screaming out in agony.'_**

Bonnie could recall going home that night.

Rue was only six at the time and yet she had still taken the time to help clean and wrap her wounds. Her mother told her it was her own fault for trying to steal from the Capitol.

As she got older, she realized that there were other ways to get food and money. She used her body to get the wealthier men to help take care of her and her family. It wasn't something she was proud of. In fact, she was very ashamed. But, it was the only way she could feed all four of her brothers and sisters and take care of her dying mother. She had no other choice. If she didn't do it, they would all starve to death.

It wasn't something she enjoyed.

It was something she had to do.

She filled a few more bags with tomatoes and then the peacekeepers called the end of her shift. They paid her with a few coins on the way out of the garden. It wasn't enough to feed her family for a day, let alone a week.

Bonnie could understand how her mother became so defeated. Living in District 11 for all of her life had worn her down. She had been fighting for so long and she had lost so much. Sometimes she thought that it might be easier if she just gave up as well. But, then she thought of Rue. She thought about all of the times they talked about getting out of the district. She thought about how strong her sister was. How she kept fighting til the end.

She planned to fight til the end.

Her eyes landed on the one-bedroom house that she called home and she hurried to the door, tugging it open and heading inside. She was surprised to see her mother out of her room and sitting at the small kitchen table. She had a feeling it had to do with the reaping coming up. She was getting anxious. They all were.

Bonnie was the only one of age to compete in the games this year.

If her family lost her, they would have nothing left. They would perish.

"Hey mom." She said with a small smile.

Abby didn't say anything in response. Her anxiety was so high that she hadn't even realized her daughter getting home from work. All that she could think about all day was that she was going to lose another one of her daughters. That Bonnie was going to die. She knew that the odds were highly unlikely, but it wasn't impossible.

With a furrow of her brow, Bonnie walked toward the table and she took a seat across from her.

Her mother was sipping on the alcohol they had saved for a special occasion, she noticed.

"Mom?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"The reaping is coming up." Abby said, ignoring her daughter's question. But, in a way she answered it. She was far from okay.

"Yeah. I know." Bonnie rested her hands against the table and she stared down at them. She didn't want to think about the reaping. She didn't want to think about the hunger games. Yet, somehow it was all that she could think about. _'I just miss Rue so much... She should still be here. I should have volunteered...'_

"I have a really bad feeling, Bonnie." Her mother said, taking a large gulp of the alcohol. "I just know it's going to be you this year. I just know I'm going to lose another daughter."

"Mom, don't say that." She said, her voice soft and sympathetic and her eyes shimmering with sorrow. "It isn't going to be me. The odds of them drawing my name is one in a million."

"It's the same odds as them pulling Rue's name." She wiped the fresh tears from her eyes and she looked away from her daughter. "I'm going to lose you too. I just know it."

_**'Your Beautiful Eyes Will Not Sleep Again,**_

_**In The Ghostly Light, I See Your Pain.'**_

"This is my year, baby brother." Damon said with a twist of his lips as his sword clanked loudly against Stefan's. The two of them had been training consistently for years in hopes that they would be called to join in the hunger games.

"It better be." He said, with a counter attack. "This is your last year to qualify, old man."

He rolled his blue eyes and easily threw the sword from Stefan's hand, tossing it across the yard. He hated when his brother teased him about becoming too old for the games, but the thought had been weighing on his mind a lot now that the reaping was getting closer. What if he didn't get picked? What if he had spent all of his life training for nothing?

He couldn't just volunteer.

Not in District 1.

If anyone else got that spot in the games, they wouldn't give it up to him. They were raised with the expectation of going to the games. They were supposed to win and then move on to join the Capitol.

"I'm getting that spot." Damon said, sticking the blade of the sword into the grass and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"What do you want to try next?" Stefan asked, approaching the weapon rack they had in the back yard. Inside, they had an entire armory and a swimming pool. Both brothers were hair stylists and they were paid well for their work. Fashion and appearance was the most important thing in the Capitol and often times they would even get residents from the Capitol to come in to the salon. They were paid well.

"Get me an ax." He said with a playful wag of his brow. It was one of the weapons that he wasn't quite as skilled with, but he loved wielding it.

Plus, this was supposed to be practice.

He needed to be prepared to use any weapon, because he didn't know what he would get his hands on in the arena. He could end up with a bow, an ax, or his bare hands. No matter what, he had to be able to kill someone. And he believed that he was. He knew that if they called his name to compete in the hunger games, he was going to come out of it victorious.

There was no doubt in his mind.

Stefan handed his brother the ax and the two of them continued to spar.

This time, his little brother had the advantage. He was far more experienced with the ax. He managed to disarm Damon and push him to the ground, holding the ax to his throat. If they were in the games at that moment, he would have lost.

"I think you need a little more practice, old man." He teased.

"I think you need to get off of me." Damon groaned out in annoyance, pushing his brother off of him. _'I really hope I don't get an ax... I will be totally screwed! Why didn't I practice more? Gah!'_

"Supper is ready boys!" Their mother called from the beautiful two story house. Her white hair was twisted up into the shape of a swan and she had bright pink eye shadow on. Her dress was made of the finest materials and it too was brightly colored. District 1 was as close to the Capitol as it got. They were practically pampered by them. "You need to make sure you eat well tonight because the reaping is coming up!"

The brothers returned their weapons to the rack and then they hurried inside to eat.

"What's for dinner?" Damon asked with a smirk as he walked into the kitchen. "I'm starved."

He didn't know the definition of starving.

If he skipped one meal he felt like he was dying of hunger. Stefan always reminded him that there were starving people in other districts, but he didn't quite understand the gravity of the statement. He had never been in that sort of situation before.

"Steak and potatoes." She said with a smile. She knew it was their favorite meal and it would help give them some extra protein for the games.

She knew that if they didn't make it this year, her husband was going to disown them.

_**'With A Whisper Of Leaves, Sadness, And Pain,**_

_**She Said : You Stay Here.'**_

"Welcome! Welcome!" The woman at the microphone said with a wide smile. She had her wild blue hair twisted up and her face was painted white and speckled with jewels. She seemed excited to announce the tributes for the upcoming hunger games. She was the only one in the entire district that had a smile on her face. Everyone else was dreading the games. "Happy hunger games everyone! May the odds be in your favor!"

_'Please let the odds be in my favor... What are the odds that I get sent the year after my sister?' _Bonnie thought nervously to herself as she watched the woman announce the video. Every year they played the exact same video to remind them why they had to do the hunger games. It was their attempt to brainwash them into believing it was for the greater good.

She knew the truth though.

If it was for the greater good then the people from the Capitol would be competing as well.

Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest as she watched the short film come to a conclusion. The District 11 escort was about to announce who was going to be joining the games this year.

"Don't you all just love that film?" The woman asked. "Alright. Now the time has come, for us to select one young man and woman for the honor of representing District 11, in the 75th annual hunger games!"

_'The honor...' _Bonnie couldn't understand anyone thinking it was an honor to represent their district in the games. If they lost, they died. If they won, they were granted all of the treasures they could ever dream of, but they could never see their family again. To her, that was a lose-lose situation. Either way she was losing the most important people to her. _'Just like I lost Rue...'_

"As usual, ladies first!" The escort announced.

She moved toward the glass ball that held all of the possible female candidates' names.

Bonnie swallowed hard and watched her closely as she reached into the ball and her fingers danced playfully along the pieces of paper. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even blink. Not until she knew that it wasn't her name. Her heart felt like it was going to break through her chest when the escort finally picked up one of the pieces of paper between her fingers, waving it around for all of them to see it.

_'Please don't be my name. Please. I have to stay here with my family.'_

The woman unfolded the piece of paper and she coughed to clear her throat. With a satisfied smile playing on her lips she said the name loud and clear, "Bonnie Bennett!"

_'Did she just say my name...? Was that my name? How is this happening? This can't be happening!' _She suddenly felt woozy and like she was going to pass out. She was having a panic attack. How was it possible that the year prior her little sister had been called to the hunger games and now she was being called? She couldn't wrap her mind around it. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it.

"Where are you?" The escort asked in an excited tone. "Come on up here!"

Everyone turned to look at her.

They all knew who she was. They all knew that Rue was her sister and that she had died in the previous hunger games. Everyone watching knew that it was wrong. They knew that it shouldn't have been her, but they were too scared to offer themselves. They were too scared to stand up to the Capitol. So instead, they watched with somber eyes as she made her way toward the stage.

Truthfully, she didn't even know how she was managing to walk. Her head was so fuzzy and she felt so lightheaded. She was almost positive she was having a terrible nightmare and she was going to wake up in her bed with her little sisters and brothers.

But, it wasn't a nightmare.

"Let's all have a round of applause for Bonnie Bennett." The woman sang as Bonnie climbed the stairs to the stage. She couldn't see her mother in the crowd, but she knew wherever she was, her heart was shattering into a million pieces. She was losing another one of her daughters, just as she had predicted. Tears glimmered in her green eyes as she stood beside the colorful woman and she stared out at all of the familiar faces.

They all looked so sad for her.

"And now, for the boys!" She exclaimed.

With that, she walked over to the glass ball with the boys' names and she reached inside, pulling out a piece of paper. She eagerly opened it and read the name loudly into the microphone, "Marcel Gerard!"

Bonnie felt like she was dying in that moment. Not only was she being forced into the games, she was being forced into them with someone she cared about. Marcel was one of her closest friends in the district. He worked the same shift at the garden with her and she talked to him about everything going on at home. He was always there to comfort her. He was like a brother to her.

"Come on up here, Marcel!" She shouted.

Marcel moved through the crowd.

He was actually sort of relieved that he got his name called. He wanted to go with Bonnie in order to help keep her safe. No one deserved to go to the hunger games less than Bonnie Bennett, and he fully intended on making sure she survived them.

_**'We Are A Warlike Species, Barbaric And Brutal,**_

_**And We Ever Shall Be.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note : <strong>

**Here I am starting another new fic! Haha! I got a lot of people asking that I write this, so I decided to give it a shot! :)) I'm curious how many people are interested in me continuing this idea!? The next chapter will have more Damon involved and it will probably have Bamon meeting for the first time! Thank you so much for reading this chapter and giving this fic a shot! How did you like this chapter? Did you enjoy Bonnie's back story? How do you feel about Damon? What about Marcel? Excited to see Bamon meet for the first time? What all ideas do y'all have! I promise to add them in! **

**Again, thank you so much for reading this! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	2. Walking In Her Shadow

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Two**

**Walking In Her Shadow**

_**'Our Namesake, We Honor,**_

_**We Swore That We'd Never Say Never.'**_

_'Tap. Tap. Tap.'_

The middle-aged woman with bright yellow fluffy hair tapped her fingers against the microphone. Her eyelashes were nearly three inches long and they too were bright yellow. Her dress was a short yellow dress with large luminous colorful flowers all over it. She was the escort for District 1. She was the woman who was going to seal Damon's fate.

Today was the day he would find out if he was going to be a part of the hunger games, or if he was going to live his life in shame like his father had.

"Welcome everyone!" She sang loudly, her lips curling up into a smile. "Happy hunger games! And may the odds be in your favor!"

Damon cast his eyes around at the other hopefuls. They were all wearing eager smiles and excited eyes as they waited impatiently for the escort to call their names. But, she wouldn't be calling their names. This was his year. She was going to call his name and he was going to compete in the games. He was going to win the games for his district. For his family.

He glanced over at Stefan who was standing in the younger age group. His brother smiled at him and mouthed the words, _"Good luck, old man."_

"First, let's start with a little film from the Capitol!" The woman in yellow said, her voice high.

Blue eyes landed on the large monitor in the center of the district. He watched the familiar images dance along the screen. Damon and Stefan had watched the movie hundreds of times growing up. Their father was constantly showing it to them in order to remind them of why they were fighting for their district. To remind them that it was an honor to fight in the hunger games. That it was a privilege.

"Isn't that film truly inspiring?" The woman asked as the short film came to an end.

Damon refocused his attention on the escort and his heart started to pound loudly in his ears. He was so anxious. This was his last chance. If she didn't call his name then he would be forced to forever live out his days in District 1 as a disgrace.

"Now, the time has come, for us to select one young man and woman for the honor of representing District 1, in the 75th annual hunger games!"

The wait was torture.

He just wanted to hear his name.

"Let's start with." She paused to make the moment more suspenseful, even though they all knew that it was protocol to announce the woman first. All the men standing in the crowd hoped that just once they would change the rules and announce the man first. "Ladies first!"

The woman skipped across the stage toward the glass ball that held the names of possible female tributes. She dipped her fingers playfully into the ball and she gently traced her fingertips through the pieces of paper. Not picking one right away. People from the Capitol loved their dramatics. Finally, she picked up one of the pieces of paper and she quickly started to unfold it.

She didn't announce the lucky young woman right away though.

Again, she paused for dramatics.

Damon groaned out and threw his head back, internally cursing the woman for taking so damn long._  
><em>

"Caroline Forbes!"

The young blonde screamed out excitedly when the escort called her name. She had a wide toothy smile on her face and her blue eyes were filled with glee as she rushed through the crowd and up the stairs of the stage. All of the women who didn't get chosen were groaning and grumbling about it.

Caroline had never felt so proud in her life. Standing on that stage, with the District 1 escort clapping for her, knowing that so many other tributes wanted to be in her shoes, it was the best day of her life. She was finally going to get the opportunity to follow in her mother's footsteps. Liz Forbes was one of the many people from their district that had won the games. If she won, then not only would she make her mother proud, she would finally get to see her again.

_'Ugh. I don't even know if I wanna go if I have to be partnered up with Barbie.' _Damon thought with a disgusted look on his face. He and Caroline had never really gotten along. Back in the day, when she was dating Stefan, all that Damon and her did was fight constantly.

"And now, for the boys!"

Any thoughts of not wanting to go diminished the minute that the woman walked toward the glass ball filled with the names of male tributes. He could deal with being teamed up with Caroline if it meant that he got to compete in the games. In the end, only one of them would survive anyway. And that was going to be him.

She reached inside and ran her long yellow fingernails along the pieces of paper, searching for just the right one.

Damon felt like his heart was going to burst through his chest as he watched her slowly sift through the pieces of paper. He glanced over at Stefan who looked just as anxious._  
><em>

The escort coughed to clear her throat.

"Damon Salvatore!"

He forgot how to breathe for a second as he repeated the words over in his head. _'Damon Salvatore. She said my name? I'm in the games? I'm the tribute?' _The other candidates were groaning about not being picked, but he could distinctively hear Stefan cheering for him. In the distance he could hear his mother and father screaming, _"That's my boy!"_

They were all so proud of him.

He was going to the hunger games.

"He seems to be a bit shocked!" The escort said with a high-pitched laugh. "Come on up here, Damon!"

Damon made his way through the crowd, approaching the stage. His hands were shaking and he felt dizzy with excitement. He still couldn't believe that she had called his name. He moved to stand next to Caroline as the woman with yellow hair applauded him.

"Chance of a lifetime and I get stuck with you." Caroline said, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him.

"I'm not exactly thrilled about it either, Blondie."

_**'I Live With This Curse, I Walk In Her Shadow,**_

_**My Heart Is Breaking.'**_

Dazzle.

That was their escort's name.

Coming from District 11, Bonnie found the name to be a bit strange. She found everything about her to be a bit strange actually. Her blue hair curled up and towered at least a foot over her head. Her eyelashes were long and had little jewels at the end of each of them. She had sapphires embedded permanently into the skin of her face and her voice was so high.

She knew that everyone in the Capitol dressed and spoke just like she did.

When she watched the hunger games in the past, she saw the speakers and the television hosts and they always had the most outrageous outfits and hair. It was like a competition. They were always trying to be the most unique and the most beautiful according to the standards of their society. _'I guess that's what happens when people don't have to work... They find other ways to entertain themselves, like vanity and watching innocent people die.'_

"Let me go and get your mentor!" Dazzle said with a smile. "You two take a seat and eat up! You can eat as much as you want! I'm sure that you are both famished." The way that she said the word_ 'famished'_ was extremely judgmental. People in the Capitol looked down on people from District 11. Even though, without them, they would all die.

_'Yeah, we're famished because you guys take all of our food.' _Bonnie thought bitterly to herself.

She hated the Capitol. She hated them for taking away her little sister. She hated them for treating them like they were lesser humans.

Despite being annoyed by the judgement she heard in Dazzle's voice, as she sat down at the table, she found herself realizing just how hungry she truly was. The table was covered with all sorts of foods and drinks that looked absolutely delicious. They were foods that she had only heard about. Foods that you would never be able to find in District 11.

_'Doughnuts... I always wanted to try a doughnut.' _

Her emerald eyes landed on one doughnut in particular. It had chocolate frosting on it and there were tons of sprinkles all over the top. Just looking at it caused her stomach to growl violently and her mouth to water. But, there was a part of her that felt guilty for thinking about eating the food while her family was at home starving to death.

Marcel was eagerly filling his mouth with a wide assortment of foods.

He hadn't eaten so good in his entire life and he planned to enjoy every minute.

Bonnie looked at all of the beautiful silverware and the china. It made her think about the mixed assortment of dishes her family had collected back home. She could save her pay every week of her life and never have enough money to afford the expensive china the Capitol was using. _'I wish I could just send this food back to my family. This would last a year back home...'_

"You aren't going to win the games if you don't eat up." Marcel said with a charming smile. He couldn't blame her for not wanting to take "handouts" from the people that condemned them to District 11, but pride wasn't important right now. Survival was important. They needed the energy.

"I just feel kind of selfish." Bonnie admitted.

Her entire life was spent sacrificing herself for the people she loved. She didn't understand the concept of fighting for herself. She didn't understand the concept of doing what was best for her, and only her.

"Hate to break it to you, Bonnie. But, the only choice you have any longer is to be selfish. Unless you want to die." Marcel could see the hurt flash across her beautiful face and he knew that she was thinking about her little sister and what happened to her. Still, the reality of the situation was that if they wanted to survive they would have to be selfish. They would have to kill innocent people that didn't deserve to die.

"Sorry. But, it's the truth." He added. Reaching out, he picked up the doughnut that the younger woman was staring at hungrily, and he handed it to her. "Now, eat up."

Bonnie took the doughnut from him and she lifted it to her full lips. Just the smell alone was enough to cause her to salivate. When she sunk her teeth into the delicious treat, she let out a hum. It was quite possibly the best thing she had ever tasted in her entire life.

"Good, huh?" Marcel asked, stuffing more food into his mouth.

It was good.

Dazzle walked back into their train car with a handsome middle-aged man on her arm. She was touching his arm and staring up at him with flirtatious eyes. It was evident that she had a crush on him. He didn't seem to realize or care though as he focused his dark eyes on them. Bonnie noticed that he had a large scar that traveled along his cheek and down over his throat.

She had heard stories about him. People called him, _Elijah-Massacre-Mikaelson._

Rumor had it, he killed seven people in cold blood in the 63rd hunger games. He was from District 1. _'I thought our mentor was supposed to be someone that won the games from our district?'_

"Bonnie and Marcel, I am pleased to introduce you to your mentor Elijah Mikaelson." Dazzle smiled up at him, but he didn't even look at her. "Normally we wouldn't give such an honorable victor to District 11, but seeing as there were no other survivors from your district that won the games, we had no choice."

Her words stung.

She didn't even realize how harsh she was being.

"He will be there the entire time, at your disposal." She turned to face them now. "You are free to ask him any questions you have about the games."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Elijah's British accent and proper posture made it difficult to believe that he had killed seven people in the arena. The sorrow in his brown eyes when he looked at them told Bonnie that he was a good man. That he pitied them for their position. And that meant a lot coming from someone in District 1.

_'Rue was killed by a man in District 1...' _

This made her instantly resent Elijah. Even though she knew he had nothing to do with her sister's death.

"I will let you all get to know each other!" Dazzle said to the three of them. Then she turned her blue eyes back to Elijah and she ran her hand down his arm as she told him, "Holler at me when it is time for their stylists."

"Will do, Dazzle." He stated simply.

The British man pulled out a chair and took a seat across from the two of them. He knew how the Capitol treated people from District 11 and he felt sorry for them. Everyone was rooting against them. At one point he had felt the exact same way. But, after winning, he had been humbled. He found out an important lesson in life. Money didn't make a man.

"Do the two of you have any questions about the games?" Elijah asked, pouring a cup of tea.

"When does the killing begin?" Marcel asked in a sarcastic tone of voice. He wasn't excited about getting into the arena.

"You joke." He said, sipping gracefully on the tea. "But, you have no idea what you are in for." His brown eyes landed on Marcel's and it felt like he was staring directly into his soul. "Once you kill a man, you will never be the same again."

Bonnie looked over at her friend and she watched the smile fall from his lips. The reality of the situation was starting to sink in for him. They were going to be thrown into an arena and forced to fight to stay alive.

They would be forced to kill people.

"But, I digress." Elijah said with a small humorous smile. He hadn't meant to frighten them. "Seeing as you have been chosen, you have no other choice but to compete in the games. And it is my job to insure you stay alive for as long as possible." He took another sip of his tea. "That being said, I have two words of advice for you. Sponsors and survival."

"What's a sponsor?" Bonnie wondered with a furrowed brow. She sort of had an idea about what it was, but she wasn't sure on all of the details.

"A sponsor is someone that helps you along the way during your time in the arena. They provide you with gifts. Whether that be medicine, weapons, or other supplies that you might need." He told them. "Having sponsors is a very important part of the games. Without them, you will undoubtedly die."

"And how exactly are we supposed to get these sponsors?" Marcel asked.

"There are many factors that play into someone sponsoring you." Elijah explained. "First impressions are very important to the Capitol. They want to see what you are made of. They want you to be charismatic. They want you to be strong. And if you can't be those things, then you lie about being those things." He smiled.

Bonnie was quickly starting to understand.

Not only was what happened in the arena a game, what happened outside of it was a game as well. The Capitol would be watching everything they did on television screens and dissecting their personalities. If they liked what they saw, then they would sponsor them. If they didn't, they would leave them to die.

"Force a smile. Be sociable. Feed the people a sob story. And most importantly, dress to impress." Elijah said. "Which will be most difficult for the two of you, because District 11 is provided the smallest budget for hair and wardrobe from the Capitol."

"This whole thing sounds completely shallow." Bonnie stated pointedly.

"That's exactly what it is." He agreed.

"You also mentioned survival. What tips do you have for that?" Marcel wondered. Survival was what was most important to him. He wanted to survive, but more than anything he wanted to make sure that Bonnie survived. She didn't deserve to be thrown into the games after everything that had happened over the last year. It wasn't fair. She had to live.

"I do not wish to be rude, but seeing as you both are from District 11, am I wrong to assume that you do not have much experience with weaponry?"

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Marcel. Neither of them were particularly skilled in any weapons. Throwing knives had become a hobby of hers, but she had never practiced for the games. From the age of five to ten in District 11, kids were forced to climb the trees and pick the fruit from the orchard, so both of them were skilled climbers. But, that was all.

"Not really..."

"Then for the two of you, the main focus is going to be sizing up the competition." Elijah told them. "I suggest that during training you pay close attention to what everyone's strengths and weaknesses are. You need to know how to use the limited skill set you have in order to take them down."

"Whoa!" Bonnie said as she spotted the Capitol through the window of the train. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life. There were ships flying around in the sky. The buildings towered high up into the clouds. It was absolutely astonishing. Marcel was leaning over her shoulder and peering out at the beautiful scenery. He too was impressed. They had spent all their lives in poverty. The nicest house in District 11 was a two story home.

"Just like everyone that resides within, The Capitol is far prettier on the outside than inside." Elijah warned.

_**'So, Tell Me Why You're Surprised We Are Livid,**_

_**When We See The Ghosts We Will Become.'**_

The last ten hours had been the longest hours of Bonnie's life.

She had spent four of them sitting in a chair while a man with a pink curly mustache worked on her hair. He had pulled and tangled it until it felt like her scalp was on fire. And the end result was what appeared to be large twisting vines on top of her head. He had sprayed her hair with bright green hair dye that he said would wash out when she showered.

After that, the wardrobe people had taken a toll on her.

They placed a crown of sticks on her head and they put her in a colorful green dress that popped out magnificently against her caramel skin. Her green eyes were illuminated with long green lashes and eye shadow. And her lips were painted green as well.

When Bonnie looked into the mirror she thought she looked completely ridiculous.

But, everyone had been complimenting her and Marcel on their looks as they headed through the Capitol. They said that they loved her hair, and they loved how her eyes matched her outfit. She didn't feel as ridiculous being immersed in a sea of people dressed similarly to her. She saw one man that had a unicorn horn surgically placed between his eyes and a tail stitched to his back.

Bonnie felt anxious as they walked through the crowd of people toward the large building where they would get on their chariots.

This would be the first time that they met the other tributes.

This would be the first time that the entire Capitol saw them. _'I really hope they like me. I could use as many sponsors as possible...'_

Marcel could tell that the young woman was growing more and more nervous by the second, so he reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a small reassuring squeeze. He was telling her that he was by her side and that he wasn't going anywhere. She was grateful for the contact and her full lips twisted up into a small smile as she met his eyes. He too was wearing bright green eye shadow and it made her laugh a little.

"This way you two." Elijah told them, leading them into the large room where the other tributes were waiting.

It was customary that the two tributes for each district ride into the training center via chariots. District 1 being the first to enter and District 12 being the last. This would be the first time that the population of the Capitol would see them and they had to make a good first impression if they wanted to be sponsored.

Bonnie immediately started to size up the competition as she looked around the room. All of the people from the other districts were dressed up just as extravagantly as they were. They were all sticking together with their partners.

That was when she noticed two people standing about ten feet away wearing gaudy pink outfits with the words District 1 embroidered into them. Instantly her stomach started to flip and she grew angry. She knew that they weren't the same people who had killed her little sister, but just knowing that they were from the same district, that they probably cheered on the man who killed Rue, was enough to make her hate them.

She looked up and she saw that the girl's pink hair was wild and all over the place. She had pink eye shadow on and her face was actually speckled with diamonds. People in District 1 were known for making the diamonds for the Capitol, so it made sense that they would wear them.

Bonnie hated to admit it, but the man standing next to her was very handsome.

_'Minus all of the makeup...' _

He had piercing blue eyes and a devious smirk that told Bonnie he was no good. She could tell by the look on his face that he was excited to be a part of the games and that he was looking to kill. His dark hair was slicked back and his face was speckled with diamonds just like his partner. Along with his bright pink tunic and pants, he was wearing a cape.

"So, that's District 1?" She asked, turning to face Marcel.

"That's them alright." He said. He noticed that Bonnie's jaw was clenched tightly and her muscles were tense and he shook his head sadly. He knew that she associated District 1 with Rue's death. Everyone in District 11 did. "They aren't the same people, Bonnie."

"They're all the same." She insisted. "They are all pampered assholes that think they are better than everyone else."

"I can't argue with you there." He smirked.

"Ugh!" Damon groaned dramatically as he stared over at his partner. "Did you have to pick pink?" His face scrunched up in disgust. Damon Salvatore didn't care for colors. He usually wore a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, and his leather jacket. He knew that they would have to pick a color to represent their team and that he would have to dress up. That was the only way they would win the games. But, did it have to be pink?

"Pink looks good on me." Caroline insisted with her hands on her hips. When the stylist asked them what they wanted to do, he hadn't had much input aside from sarcastic jokes, so she had taken control of the situation. She knew what she wanted. She had planned for this day for years.

"I hate to break it to you-"

Before he could finish the sentence she was glaring at him. "-Shut up, Damon!"

His lips were curled up into a playful smirk as he raised his hands defensively. She knew what he was going to say. He was going to say that nothing looked good on her. Or something similar.

Caroline returned her attention to the other tributes. As she looked at them, she was not only confident that they were strong enough to beat them, she was confident that their outfits were superior in every way. They were the cutest pair there. Even if she was stuck with Damon.

Damon leant down and whispered hotly against her ear, "I can't wait to kill you."

She scoffed and turned to look at him and he waggled his brow at her. "As if you could!" She pushed him. "God, I can't believe I'm stuck with you of all people. You are such an asshole!"

"I know." His blue eyes widened.

Suddenly, Damon was distracted from their conversation as his eyes landed on the beautiful young woman from District 11. Normally, he wouldn't look twice at someone from such a poor district. There was no chance that he could possibly have a relationship with her. But, still, she was absolutely stunning. The green of her dress popped against her beautiful caramel skin, and it brought out the green in her eyes. His eyes ran along her exposed toned thighs and he licked over his lips.

_'It wouldn't hurt to have a little fun...'_

"Who's that?" He asked Caroline curiously.

"I don't know her name, but she's from District 11." The way the blonde said the words sounded like, _'She's from District 11, she doesn't matter.'_

"She is smokin'." Damon stated suggestively.

Caroline knit her brows together and turned to look at her partner like he was crazy. How could he think someone from District 11 was hot? "She's poor." When that didn't stop him from ogling the girl, she added, "She probably works on a farm or something."

"So, she doesn't mind getting a little dirty." He teased.

"Gross."

Damon rolled his eyes at her. "Calm your pretty little bottle-blonde head, I said she was hot, not that I wanted to marry her."

Caroline's blue eyes widened as he called her a bottle-blonde. She was, but she didn't like to admit it. Raising her finger she spoke in an over-dramatic tone of voice, "First of all, I am NOT a bottle-blonde." He flashed her a disbelieving look. "I'm not!" After defending her hair, her lips curled up into a deceptive smirk and she looked over at the District 11 tribute, "Second of all, maybe you should put that overactive libido to good use."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that you seduce her and we use that to our advantage in the arena." She waggled her brow. "If she trusts you then it will be even easier to pick her off."

_**'You Remind Me Of The Rain In July,**_

_**And The Gloom I Felt For A Year.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<br>**

**Oh my gosh! Thank you all so very much for all of your wonderful encouragement and reviews! Y'all really do keep me writing! So, here is another chapter! I hope that you enjoy it! :)) I'm just excited that other people are interested in this idea, because I am really loving writing it! Anyhow, how did y'all like this chapter? How do you feel about Damon right now? Thoughts on Caroline? What about Marcel and Bonnie? And I know there wasn't much this chapter but there will be a whole lot next chapter, but how did y'all like the Bamon!? Do you think Damon will seduce Bonnie for the game like Caroline suggested? **

**I took all of your thoughts into consideration and I promise some Bonnie/Marcel moments and some Rue/Bonnie flashbacks are coming up! Also we will see a bit into both Damon and Bonnie's pasts as the story progresses!**

**Thank you all so much for reading! I love you guys so much!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	3. Where's That Fire?

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Three**

**Where's That Fire?**

_**'Before The Dawn Announces A New Day,**_

_**Tonight, We Have A Chance To Live Our Dreams.'**_

"It is time to board the chariot." Elijah informed the two tributes. It was evident that they were getting overwhelmed by the chaos around them. People were running around in every direction trying to prepare for the parade. They could hear the crowd cheering loudly through the large doors, and the announcer speaking to the audience.

Bonnie's head was pounding as she made her way through the crowd toward the chariot. She felt like she was going to pass out. It was all just too much. She didn't have a second to rest her mind before she was dragged into something else. They had only just arrived and now they were to be paraded around the Capitol in hopes of gaining sponsors.

She felt a pain shoot through her shoulder as someone ran directly into her.

Before she had the chance to apologize or say anything to the young man he was screaming at her, "Watch it!" He had a British accent.

His dark hair was slicked back and he had dark eyes and a cleft chin. His outfit was a radiant blue and he had pearls that lined the collar. Perched in his hair was a seahorse. He had the words _'District 4' _embroidered on the front of his tunic. He also didn't appear to have manners as he walked away from her without an apology.

Bonnie turned to look at Marcel. His muscles were tense and he was preparing to force the man to apologize to his friend, but she gently placed a hand on his arm, telling him that it was alright.

"Is there a reason that everyone here are such jerks?" She asked.

"Not everyone." He corrected his partner with an encouraging grin. A lot of the districts felt the same way they did about the games. Ironically, it was the poorer districts. You would think they would be more eager to win a place in the Capitol. "It's mostly just Districts 1, 2, and 4. They think they are entitled to winning the games before they even start."

"District 12 won last year." Bonnie pointed out.

"That only fuels them to want to prove themselves even more."

"For once I would just love it if someone from District 11 came out on top." Her attitude toward the game was altering slightly. She was becoming more competitive. Mostly, she just wanted to see the districts that looked down on her people lose for a second year in a row. Maybe then they would take the time to apologize when they ran into her.

Marcel held out his hand to her and she took it, allowing him to help her up into the chariot.

He followed close behind.

"Remember you two, it's all about the first impressions." Elijah reminded from the sideline. "Be certain to smile and wave at the audience."

Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing in her chest as she listened to the loud cheering on the other side of the door. She felt so much pressure to make a good first impression on the people she didn't even care to impress. She hated them. She hated that they only saw them as pawns in their game. These people were monsters. Willing to cheer for the bloodshed of a twelve year old girl.

"You okay?" Marcel asked. He had concern swimming in his dark eyes.

"What do you think?" She countered sarcastically, with a twist of her lips.

Again, he reached over and interlaced his fingers with hers, giving her hand a small squeeze. Bonnie found comfort in the warmth of his hand. She found safety. She knew that Marcel would do anything to protect her. He would even sacrifice his own life. _'I really hope it never comes to that though... I couldn't handle it if he died to save me...'_

"Don't worry so much." He smiled. "I'm right here with you."

"Thanks."

_"Over one-hundred-thousand people are currently stirring impatiently in their seats, waiting for their first glimpse of this year's tributes!" _ The announcer's voice echoed loudly. His name was Caesar Flickerman. He was always the host of the games. _"This moment is SO important for our tributes, because this is when their possible sponsors see them for the very first time!" _He paused. _"And you know what they say, first impressions are lasting impressions!"_

Bonnie held her breath as the large doors opened in front of the first chariot.

The parade was starting.

She tightened her grip on Marcel's hand and she watched the horses start to gallop proudly toward the door.

Damon and Caroline were standing in the front of the pack, basking in the cheers and the lights. Both of them loved the attention. They loved hearing people rooting for them to win the games. It was everything they had always dreamed it would be and more. And although he hated to admit it, the people were loving the pink costumes.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a group of young women shouting to him. They had a rainbow of colors in their hair and on their outfits. His lips twisted up into a devious smirk and he lifted his hand, waggling his fingers playfully at them. This earned a scream from the girls. The screaming only intensified when he winked in their direction.

He loved it.

He felt so powerful.

Damon's eyes were already on the finish line. He was going to win the games and become a celebrity in the Capitol. Girls would be throwing themselves at his feet constantly. He would get the chance to mentor others. His face would be all over the championship walls. _'I can't wait to win this thing.'_

_"There they are! This year's tributes!" _Caesar spoke excitedly into the microphone. _"Hm. For a hairstylist you'd think he'd pick something a bit more colorful!"_

_"Like you?" _His co-host teased.

_"Precisely!"_

Bonnie let out the breath she had been holding and she stared up at the lights as they neared the doors.

"Just flash them that pretty smile of yours." Marcel whispered against her ear. "You'll get sponsors."

A blush traveled along her cheeks and down over her shoulders as he complimented her smile. The two of them had always had a sort of flirtatious relationship, but they had never explored it. They had never wanted to destroy the wonderful friendship they had. Still, the attraction was there. Marcel Gerard was a very handsome man.

The horses galloped through the doors and Bonnie's green eyes widened as she realized just how many people were there. The announcer had said that there were over one-hundred-thousand, but that hadn't fully registered until she saw them all sitting in the bleachers, screaming loudly for their favorites. She felt lightheaded and nauseous, but she managed to force a smile and wave to the onlookers.

_'How did Rue handle all of this so well? She made it look so easy... She always looked so confident... I wonder if she felt like this inside?'_

Very few people were cheering for them as their chariot drove by. Most of the Capitol knew that District 11 didn't have a chance. They looked at them as expendable. Again, Bonnie felt that fire ignite inside of her. That need to prove them all wrong.

_"This young woman from District 11 is a very special tribute!" _Caesar announced. _"It is not often that siblings get thrown into the hunger games one year after the other!"_

Bonnie's heart sunk.

_"Do you remember the fan favorite underdog Rue from last year's games? This is her older sister!"_

A large screen lowered from the sky displaying video footage of Rue's journey through the games. It showed her first interview, where she was dressed in that adorable blue dress with her hair up in barrettes. It showed her climbing through the trees. It showed her devious crooked grin. And then it showed her death. Seeing the agony and surprise written across her sister's face in the moment of her death, destroyed her.

Bonnie clenched her jaw tightly and she glared at the screen as she watched her sister die. The people in the bleachers were suddenly cheering for them, and it infuriated her. She didn't want to exploit her sister's death just to get sponsors, and she didn't like that they were exploiting her death to get more viewers.

Damon furrowed his brow in confusion as he heard the announcer say that the woman from District 11 was Rue's older sister. _'She's Rue's sister? No wonder she looked at me like she wanted to kill me.'_

He knew the previous hunger games like he knew the back of his hand. He had spent hours upon hours re-watching them with his brother, studying them for techniques. And Rue was one of the deaths he remembered the most. When Marvel had killed her, he and the rest of his district had cheered. They had to support District 1 after all. He had been proud of their small victory, but even he had to cringe at the sight of a twelve year old girl dying. He was a pretty shitty person, but he wasn't that shitty.

All of the chariots started to park in front of a bright red balcony. It had the crest of the Capitol on the front of it. This was where President Snow would make his speech.

Seeing President Snow walk out onto the balcony was surreal to Damon. He had watched him make the speech so many times before, and now he was making the speech to him.

"Welcome!" The president spoke into the microphone and the audience erupted in applause once more. He held up his hands telling them to silence themselves, and then he started his speech again, "Tributes, we welcome you. We salute your courage and your sacrifice!"

Everyone cheered again. It was easy to cheer when they weren't the ones sacrificing themselves.

"And as always, we wish you happy hunger games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

He paused and waited for the cheering to die down, before he made the second announcement. His fingers tapped against the box sitting on the podium. Inside was the fate of the games. "As you all know, this is the 75th year of the hunger games. This year, we honor our third Quarter Quell on the seventy-fifth anniversary! As a reminder to the rebels, that they cannot overcome the Capitol!"

_'Oh god, I forgot it was the Quarter Quell...' _Bonnie thought to herself. Things just kept getting worse and worse.

President Snow opened the lid to the box and he sifted through the yellow envelopes inside. Finally, he lifted one up and he showed it to the audience and tributes. Everyone cheered excitedly. They were all anxious to know what this years twist would be.

"Each Quarter Quell we introduce a surprise twist that ensures the games will be that much more of a challenge." He opened the envelope and he started to read over the piece of paper inside. "This year, halfway through the games, two new tributes from each district will enter into the arena."

Everyone applauded.

Bonnie felt the sudden urge to vomit as she heard what the twist would be. That meant that twenty-four new people would be introduced into the game once they were down to the final twelve. There would be twenty-four more people that they were forced to kill. It would make the hunger games longer and far more difficult to survive.

_**'Before The Dawn Tears This Night Away,**_

_**I Will Find A Way To Reach Your Soul.'**_

Her fingers curled in the satin sheets. She loved how soft and silky they felt against her skin. But, no matter how beautiful they were, and no matter how nice they felt, they still didn't compare to the quilt her mother had made for her and her little brothers and sisters. She had made it when she was younger. Before she gave up on life.

Bonnie glanced around at the beautiful room. It was extravagantly decorated. There was expensive furniture. There were gorgeous paintings adorning the walls. Hanging overhead was a golden chandelier that illuminated the entire room with light. She had never seen anything like it. Not even the nicest homes in District 11 could compare. Her entire house could literally fit inside of the room twice.

And to top it all off, there was all you could eat room service.

She didn't have to pay anything for the food. She could indulge as much as she wanted. She could try every delicacy she never was allowed to try back home.

_'I wonder how Rue reacted when they showed her to her room...?' _Bonnie imagined her little sister staring around at the room in complete awe, her mouth hanging open and her brown eyes wide. She could envision it in her head. Rue running into the room and jumping on the bed before consuming every last piece of candy she found. Every year for her birthday she always asked for candy. It was her favorite thing.

_**'Rue was waiting impatiently for her sister to wake up. **_

_**She just couldn't wait to see what kind of candy Bonnie got her that year for her birthday. Every year she surprised her with something new. Last year she had tried skittles for the first time and she loved them. The year before she had tried a chocolate bar and it had been amazing. Honestly, every type of candy was amazing. It was so much better than the small portions of bread they ate on a regular basis.**_

_**Bonnie started to stir and Rue's eyes widened excitedly. **_

_**But, then her sister merely rolled over and mumbled into her pillow.**_

**_Rue let out a loud sigh and she decided that she couldn't wait any longer. Running toward the bed, she did a flip over her sister and she landed on her feet on the mattress. Everyone in their district was agile and skilled at flipping and climbing. The shake of the bed startled Bonnie out of her sleep, but she continued to fake like she was sleeping._**

**_She knew it was her little sister._**

**_"Bonnie, I know you're awake!" She said, kneeling down and looking over her face. "Come on! It's my birthday! I wanna know what kind of candy you got me this year!"_**

**_Bonnie's lips twisted up into a smile and she popped open one of her eyes, staring up at her little sister. "Oh, I forgot. Today's your birthday?" She started to sit up. "Darn it. I've been working so much it must have slipped my mind."_**

**_"You're lying." Rue knew she had to be lying. Her sister never forgot her birthday. But, for just a second she was worried._**

**_She reached under the bed and grabbed the box of candy she had bought for Rue. "I guess you'll have to wait 'til next year to get your candy." With that she lifted up the box of hot tamales for the younger girl to see. Her smile stretched and her eyes widened as she reached out and took them from her. She wrapped Bonnie up into a tight embrace and thanked her over and over._**

**_Every new type of candy was a new adventure for Rue.'_**

_'Everything was a new adventure to her.' _Bonnie thought sadly to herself, wiping the fresh tear from her cheek. _'Even this.' _

Rue hadn't been scared to take on the hunger games. She had been so strong and brave. Her entire mindset was that this was just another adventure for her and she was going to make the best of it. She didn't try to kill anyone. Her main focus was hiding. It was like a big game of hide and seek to her.

She was the one who told Bonnie before the reaping that if they called her name she didn't want her to volunteer. She told her, _"You gotta stay here and take care of mom. I can handle this." _

Bonnie pushed herself from the bed and she started to move across the room toward the balcony. She pulled the glass door open and she walked outside. There was a cool breeze that rushed against her skin. It felt nice. She approached the railing and she stared out at the beautiful buildings that stretched for as far as she could see. They were illuminated with neon lights. None of it felt real. It felt like she was dreaming.

_'I wish I could just wake up and find out that the last year was all a dream.'_

"I wouldn't get too close." A familiar voice said.

Bonnie jumped when she heard his voice. She hadn't expected anyone else to come into her room. Of course, she didn't mind that Marcel was there. He was probably just checking to make sure she was alright. She laughed and turned to look at him, "You scared me."

He laughed. "Sorry. I just thought I'd warn you before things got ugly."

She furrowed her brow and perplexity filled her green eyes.

Marcel's lips twisted up into a smirk and he walked across the balcony, picking up one of the decorative potted plants. He easily lifted it. Years of farming had made him very strong. And then, he tossed it off the balcony.

The pot hit an invisible force-field and it shot electricity through the sky, throwing the pot violently back onto the balcony.

"A force field." Bonnie stated simply with a nod of her head. She knew that the Capitol used force fields to keep people from entering certain places, or leaving them in this case.

"Too many people were committing suicide." He said.

"Can't say I blame them." It was just a joke, but the words worried her friend.

Marcel didn't like hearing her talk about such things in such a nonchalant manner. This wasn't the same Bonnie Bennett that he had known all of his life. This wasn't the fighter that never gave up. This was someone else. She had changed so drastically after Rue's death. It was like she lost her meaning to live. He cocked his head to the side and gave Bonnie a look that said _'Really?'_

"Don't look at me like that." She lifted her chin confidently and spoke in a serious tone. "Do you see the way that they look at us? Just going into that arena for someone from our district is suicide. I might as well get it over with."

He took a step toward her and he searched her eyes for the fire they once possessed. He only found sorrow and defeat.

"What would your sister say if she heard you right now?"

Bonnie thought about it for a second and then she said, "She would tell me not to let them count me out. She would look at this whole thing as just another one of her adventures."

"You used to act the same way." Marcel pointed out with a sad smile. "Where'd that girl with the fire go?"

"The fire died when Rue died."

_**'Now Take My Hand, Let's Do The Walk Of Life,**_

_**Together If You Want, Side By Side.'**_

"I can't believe you talked me into coming to this thing." Bonnie spoke loudly over the music that was playing. All of the other tributes were dancing along to the music, consuming food and drinks, and talking to possible sponsors.

"I can't believe you actually wanted to spend your first night here cooped up in that room." He countered. "Elijah said that it was important for us to socialize if we wanted to win this game. So that's what we are going to do." With a smirk on his lips, he placed a hand on her back and he pushed her toward the crowd. They were immersed in a mix of bright colors, loud music, and high-pitched voices.

There was even a fountain in the center of the dance floor that spouted out colorful neon water.

"Besides, we might as well enjoy the luxury while it lasts." He reached out and picked up two alcoholic beverages off of one of the trays. Neither of them were of drinking age, but it seemed when they were being sent to their deaths, no one cared to arrest them for it. Plus, Marcel had always been told he looked older than he actually was. He twisted on his heels and handed Bonnie one of the drinks.

"Well, if I can't kill myself I might as well drink." She stated sarcastically, taking the drink from him and taking a gulp. Her green eyes filled with wonder as she tasted it. She had expected it to be bitter like the cheap alcohol they had back home. "That tastes so good!"

"Doesn't it?" He lifted his glass to his lips and took another drink.

Suddenly, a woman with bright pink hair and diamond dimples in her cheeks hurried up to them. She had a wide smile on her lips as she pointed to Bonnie, "Oh, aren't you the girl who is related to our beloved, Rue?" Her voice was high and nasally. "I was rooting for her every step of the way. Poor girl. It's a shame what happened to her."

Marcel was just about to step in and save her when the young man from District 1 pushed his way between Bonnie and the woman with pink hair. He wrapped his arms around the woman's shoulders. "Wouldn't you rather talk to someone a little more interesting?" He had a devious glint in his blue eyes and a playful smirk on his lips.

"Aren't you the tribute from District 1?" She asked.

"That I am." He waggled his brow flirtatiously at her.

"I just love that color you are wearing!"

"It looks even more lovely in your hair."

Bonnie looked over at Marcel and they both shook their heads at his cocky attitude. She was relieved that she didn't have to talk about the death of her sister, but it was obvious that the man had only done it in order to steal her possible sponsor. He didn't care about her. _'Typical attention whore.'_

They turned and started to walk away from him.

_'SHIT! She's walking away!' _Damon thought to himself as he watched the woman from District 11 start to head across the room. He wanted so desperately to chase after her. He had only interrupted the conversation to spare her from having to talk about her sister. _'But now if I walk away I risk losing this possible sponsor...' _

"Isn't your name Damon Salvatore?" The woman asked him. "Don't tell that young lady, but even if I'm rooting for the underdogs, I'm placing my bets on you."

He couldn't help but smirk at that. He lived for the praise. He wanted people to place their bets on him because he planned to win the entire thing. It didn't matter how many new tributes they sent into that arena. He would defeat them all.

"Oh and your arms. They are so strong!" She reached out and placed her hands on his arms. It was beyond obvious that she was flirting with him.

Bonnie watched the pink haired girl practically throw herself at the District 1 tribute and it caused her stomach to lurch back and forth jealously. She didn't understand why she was reacting in such a manner. It wasn't like she was interested in him. She didn't even know his name. And he was a narcissistic asshole. _'This is a blessing if anything. If he's paying attention to her then he can leave me alone.'_

"Looks like _HE_ won't be having any trouble getting sponsors."

Marcel looked between the two of them curiously. This man brought out something in Bonnie that he hadn't seen in a while. He brought out her fire.

Caroline was standing at the sideline watching the entire interaction with her arm crossed over her chest. She rolled her eyes as the woman touched Damon's arm and then she stomped over to him. He was supposed to be focusing on seducing the woman from District 11. They needed whatever advantage they could get in the games, especially now that they would be introducing new tributes halfway through.

As she reached him, she grabbed onto his arm and pulled him away from the pink haired woman.

"Nice going, Damon!" She shouted at him. "You just destroyed what little chances you had of seducing her now that she knows just how much of a pompous asshole you are!"

"I was saving her." He sang with a devious smirk and a raise of his brows.

"You were soaking up the attention!"

"Oh, come on!" He groaned over-dramatically. "You would have done the same, Blondie."

Caroline thought about it for a second. She imagined a sexy man running his hands over her arms and complimenting her and she smiled. It was true. She would love it. "Okay, you're so right, I would have loved that!" She laughed. After her laughter died, she returned to her serious determined self. Once she set her mind to a plan she couldn't stop until it was done. "Either way, you need to fix this!"

"And how exactly do you propose I do that?" He asked.

"Get your ass over there and charm her dress off! Chop, chop!" She pushed him in the mystery woman's direction.

It was really strange having Caroline Forbes so invested in his love life. But, he understood where she was coming from. Her idea was actually surprisingly intelligent. Every minute of their lives would be consumed by the game from now until they died, or they won. And this was all just another form of strategy. It was emotional manipulation. If they could make the gorgeous young woman from District 11 trust them, then it would be far easier to take her down.

Damon wasn't above playing dirty, but this seemed a little slimy even to him.

Especially now that he knew Rue was her little sister.

But, at the end of the day everyone had to die aside from the winner, and their could only be one winner. And that was going to be him.

Marcel noticed that the man in pink was making his way back over to them. His smirk widened. There was definitely something unspoken going on between him and Bonnie. "Here comes your little knight in pink armor." He teased.

She noticed him and she let out a groan and rolled her eyes. She didn't understand what his obsession with her was. "Why won't he just leave me alone?"

"I think he likes you." He sang.

Bonnie laughed and shook her head at the thought. "Isn't that just what I need? To strike up a romantic relationship with the man who will try to kill me in a few days."

There was no response.

She knit her brows together and she turned to look in the direction he had been standing. That was when she noticed Marcel was making his way across the room and leaving her alone to face the man from District 1. _'Really Marcel? Oh my god, how could you leave me alone with this creep!?'_

When she turned back around she noticed that the handsome older man was standing in front of her. He was standing very close. A little too close for comfort. But, she couldn't deny the way that her stomach filled with butterflies and her skin heated up as he looked over her body. He was very attractive. And his eyes were beautiful. _'Just remember, like Elijah said. No matter how pretty he is on the outside that doesn't mean he's pretty on the inside.'_

"I was wondering where you flew off to, little bird." His lips twisted up into a devious smirk and he stared deep into captivating green eyes.

She was mesmerizing.

"I was trying to get as far away from you as possible." Bonnie forced herself to look away from his eyes and she took a step back. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest and her palms were sweaty. _'Why are you reacting this way? It was just a look. It didn't mean anything.'_

"Ouch." He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow dramatically. "That's no way to talk to someone who just saved you from that vulture."

"You mean the "vulture" you were just flirting with?" She countered bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't understand how what he did was "saving" her. He had just interrupted her conversation and stole her sponsor.

"Jealous?" He took a step toward her and leant forward so that their faces were only a few inches apart.

"Not even close." Bonnie insisted with a confident raise of her chin.

"You look jealous."

"You're mistaking jealousy for frustration."

"Sexual frustration?" The man wondered with a suggestive tone as he waggled his brow at her. "I have a cure for that. Why don't you invite me back to your room?"

Bonnie had already had sex with far too many people she regretted having sex with, she didn't need another. She didn't know how he was planning to use this against her later, but she knew that he couldn't be trusted. He was from District 1. The district of luxury. The district that lived and breathed the hunger games. "That is so not going to happen."

She turned on her heels and started to head back to Marcel. She was so upset with her friend for abandoning her with the man from District 1.

She was tugged gently back toward the stranger as he reached out and grabbed onto her wrist. It wasn't hard enough to hurt her, just hard enough to pull her back to look at him.

"Can I at least get your name so I can stop calling you the hot chick from District 11?"

_'Hot? Okay no, don't let this go to your head Bonnie! He probably calls everyone that! Even that "vulture" _"My name's Bonnie."

"I'm Damon."

"I don't care." Bonnie pulled her arm away from his hand and she turned to head back toward Marcel with a scowl on her lips.

Caroline walked up to Damon and she shook her head at him. "What a ladies man you are." She laughed sarcastically. "I think I would have had a better shot seducing her than you just did."

"Just give me some time."

"We don't have any time!"

_**'Dry Your Tears. Don't Think About What You've Lost,**_

_**Think About What You Had.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note : <strong>

**Thank you all so very much for your continued support! Y'all are the reason I keep on writing! I am just really happy to hear from y'all and to know that y'all are enjoying this fic! :)) So thank you for reading and reviewing! Y'all are wonderful! Now on to the chapter! I would love to hear your thoughts on it! Did you like the Bonnie/Marcel moments? Did you enjoy the Rue flashback? What about the surprise at the Quarter Quell? And most importantly, did you enjoy Bamon's first interactions!? Do you like that Bonnie turned him down? Are you excited to see him fight for her affections!? **

**If y'all have any ideas or anything you would like to see added to this story (including characters) please do tell me! :)) I will try and incorporate everything!**

**Thank you again for reading! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	4. Training : Day One

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Four**

**Training : Day One**

_**'I Believe There Is A Way.**_

_**I Believe That It's Not Too Late.'**_

_-Day One - 10:00 a.m. _

"In two weeks, twenty-three of you will be dead." The woman spoke in a serious tone of voice. She was very intimidating. "And maybe, one of you will be alive." They never knew now that they were adding in twenty-four new tributes. All of the people standing before her could lose the games.

_'I will be alive.' _Damon thought to himself confidently as he listened to the woman.

She started to pace in front of them, "Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next four days, particularly to what I am about to say." She paused to clear her throat. "First, no fighting with the other tributes. You will have plenty of time for that once you reach the arena. My advice during training is, don't forget the survival skills. Everyone wants to grab a weapon and start showing off their skills, but most of you will actually die from natural causes."

Damon wasn't thinking about survival skills. As far as he was concerned, as long as he could hunt for food and find water, he would be fine. His main focus was killing off as many people as possible right away.

His eyes were focused on the gauntlet. Everyone who was anyone knew about the obstacle course. It was the way to prove yourself worthy. Everyone back home bragged about how fast they would be able to do it, and he wanted so desperately to prove he could hit the thirty second mark. That was the goal he had set for himself. He didn't care about survival skills or practicing his weaponry, he had done that all his life. This was all that mattered to him.

"10 percent of you will die from infection. 20 percent from dehydration. And many more from starvation and weather conditions."

She had warned them. That was all that she could do. She still knew that people would ignore her advice. "Alright everyone, get to training!"

Damon immediately started to head toward the gauntlet. He wanted to be the first one there. Caroline was close on his heels. Just as he was about to stand in front of the obstacle course and announce that he wanted to start, another young man swept in front of him and smiled at the expert. His dark hair was disheveled and he had a playful glint in his dark eyes. The patch on his training uniform said _'District 4.'_

He groaned out in annoyance and took a few steps away from the gauntlet, waiting his turn. He had never been the most patient man.

"Who's that?" He spat.

"His name is Enzo, he's from District 4." Caroline told him, as she watched the man closely. She was already thinking big picture. "I hear he's pretty good. He might be a good ally."

Damon scoffed when he heard that his partner wanted to ally with the other man. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Barbie." He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side. "Let's just see how he does."

Bonnie found herself watching Damon from across the room. She didn't know why she was so fascinated with him. She just always seemed to be drawn to him. Currently, she was intrigued by just how different he looked without the gaudy pink outfit on and his hair slicked back. He was wearing a simple black training outfit and his medium length hair was wild and unruly. Somehow he managed to look even more attractive than before.

_'Of course he would go straight to the gauntlet...' _She thought to herself.

People in District 1 trained for the hunger games all their lives. They didn't feel like they needed any more training. They just wanted to prove that they were the best in order to make allies and intimidate the weaker districts.

_'Still, he looks good in that training suit. Gah! Stop thinking these things! It doesn't matter how good he looks!'_

"Checking out your boyfriend?" Marcel teased, resting his chin against Bonnie's shoulder.

"He's not my boyfriend." She sounded repulsed by the idea. Damon had come up to her at the party the night prior and asked her to take him back to her bedroom. It was obvious that he didn't want a girlfriend. He just wanted sex.

"Come on." Bonnie said, reaching out and pulling on Marcel's arm. "Let's start with something we are good at."

Damon smirked as he watched Bonnie and her partner walk away from the gauntlet. He had noticed the way that she was looking at him and it had given him hope that he hadn't completely screwed up his chances with her. "Did you see that?"

Caroline looked over at him, "What?"

"Bon-Bon was totally checking out the goods." He waggled his brow suggestively and Caroline let out a gag. She didn't understand how any girls could be interested in such an asshole. But, he really did get all the ladies somehow.

"Yeah, I bet she was." The blonde responded sarcastically, turning her attention back to the gauntlet and the District 4 tribute.

Enzo turned to face the two onlookers and he smirked cockily at them, "Let me show you how it's done." His accent was deep and thick.

Damon rolled his eyes. He wasn't impressed by him.

"On your mark, get set, go!" The expert shouted, clicking the button to start the clock.

The second Enzo heard the word _'go,' _he launched himself over the first hurdle and he started to jump across the hurdles as fast as he could. His muscles were tense and every single part of his body was in pain, but it didn't show on his face. He knew how to hide his pain. People were trying to hit him with padded clubs, but he easily dodged each of them, landing gracefully on the ground at the end of the obstacle course.

He looked up at the clock hanging overhead and his smirk widened when he read the number. He had completed the course in thirty-three seconds.

That was an exceptional time.

Enzo wiped the sweat from his brow and he ran his hand through his hair as he walked back toward the two tributes from District 1. In his mind, he was superior to them. They were pampered and he was a soldier. He was wealthy, but he still did hard work.

"Not bad for a first time, eh?" He asked, staring directly into Damon's blue eyes.

"Outta my way." Damon pushed past him and walked up to the starting line of the gauntlet. He had faith in himself. He knew that he could easily beat thirty-three seconds. His goal was thirty. He readied himself, clenching his jaw tightly and waiting for the expert to tell him to go.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

Mustering all of his strength, he threw his body toward the first hurdle, twisting his body to dodge one of the clubs swinging at him. He pushed himself off of the hurdle and skillfully jumped to the next. All of his muscles were tense and the veins were popping out in his neck, but he didn't care, he was going to beat Enzo's time. Pain was only temporary, honor was forever. Finally, he landed on the ground at the end of the gauntlet and he smiled confidently when he heard Caroline cheering for him.

Glancing up, he read the number on the clock. Thirty-one seconds. He hadn't reached his ultimate goal, but he had beaten Enzo and right now that was all that mattered. He could try again and hit thirty.

Damon approached the British man with a playful grin, "What did ya think of that?"

"I think." Enzo stretched. "We should consider teaming up and taking out the weaker competitors."

There was a devious glint in his brown eyes that told Damon he was prepared to kill whoever he had to in the games. It told him that he would be a strong ally and a dangerous enemy. He wanted him on his side. "I could always use a good murder buddy." He said with a raise of his brows.

"Good. Now, pardon me as I beat your time."

_**'I Won't Be "Anyone," Without A Face,**_

_**A Pawn In A Crazy Game.'**_

He gripped the sickle firmly in his hand and stared down at it with curious brown eyes. He had used the tool multiple times in the field for harvesting wheat in District 11, but he had never thought about it as a weapon until that moment. He supposed that it would be a very effective weapon. The blade was sharp enough to cut through flesh. He had seen it happen once when a friend of his slacked off in the field and the peacekeeper hit him with it.

"I never woulda thought to use this as a weapon." Marcel admitted with a smile at the expert standing in front of him.

"You must be from District 11." The man said. He looked down at the tribute's shirt, judgmentally reading the district number embroidered in it. People from District 11 constantly reached his station and were shocked that they used the sickle for anything besides harvesting grain. They were so simple. They only thought about work.

Marcel's body tensed and he clenched his jaw tightly. He hated the way that everyone had been judging Bonnie and him since they arrived in the Capitol. He just wanted to prove them wrong. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing." He said condescendingly.

_'Yeah right.' _

"You can actually use this weapon in a few ways." The expert said, holding up a sickle of his own. "But, the most effective, is similar to how you would harvest grain." He was speaking slower and trying to dumb down what he was saying so that Marcel could understand him. He was treating him like a child and it was extremely irritating. "Do you understand?"

He sucked on his cheeks and nodded his head, "I think I got it."

"Here, let me show you."

Marcel examined the expert closely as he approached one of the training dummies. He lifted the sickle and then he lowered it, pressing the tip into the dummy's throat. "You want to cut directly into the throat, like this." Pulling the sickle away from the dummy he started to explain the second most common method for using the weapon. "The other technique is to sever the head, though I wouldn't recommend it for someone less experienced like yourself."

"Show me."

He moved behind the dummy and he placed the curve of the blade to the throat. "It will take all of your strength and agility to sever the head entirely." He lowered the blade and moved out of the training station. "Like I said, you probably should just stick to the simpler method."

"Wanna give it a try?" The expert asked.

"I'd love to."

Marcel moved to the center of the training station. He took a second to observe all of the dummies around him. People from District 11 had great observational skills. He was trying to figure out the smartest and fastest strategy to take out all of the "enemies."

"Any time, kid! Other people are waiting!"

He moved quickly toward the first dummy and he thrust the sickle deep into it's throat. The puncture wound would undoubtedly kill anyone. Then he flipped to the second dummy and as he came down from the flip he sunk the sickle into it's throat. Kicking himself off of the dummy he did a back flip and wound up landing behind the last dummy. There he managed to sever it's head clean off.

What people from other districts and the Capitol seemed to constantly forget was how agile and skilled at flipping and climbing people from District 11 were.

It was more of a defensive skill, but it could be deadly when mixed with offensive attacks.

The expert was standing there with a baffled look on his face. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

"Here ya go." Marcel said, handing him the sickle back.

A few of the people waiting in line were watching him and noticing his skill. He knew that he probably should have dialed it back so that they wouldn't know it was his strength, but he had wanted so badly to make the expert eat his words.

He knew exactly where Bonnie would be. She loved throwing knives as a hobby back home and he knew for a fact that she was pretty good at it. That had to be what she was best at. As suspected, Marcel spotted Bonnie standing in the center of the knife throwing training station. She was holding up one of the knives and aiming it at a stationary target.

_'It's just like back home...' _She thought to herself, taking in a calming breath and releasing it. She had spent hours practicing throwing knives at trees back home for no reason in particular. It was just fun.

Bonnie threw the knife with lightning speed, watching it hit the target. It didn't hit the center, but it was close.

"Good job!" The expert hollered from the sideline. "Next we have the moving targets!"

A new set of targets popped up and they started to move from side to side. This was the ultimate test. In the arena it was going to be uncommon to find someone who was standing still waiting to be killed, they would be moving. Bonnie furrowed her brow in concentration and she focused on each of the moving targets. Studying the time it took for them to move back and forth. After a few seconds, she started to throw the knives. She hit each target, one after the other, close to the bull's-eye.

"That was amazing! I didn't expect you to be so good at that!"

"Don't count her out!" Marcel shouted from the sidelines.

Hearing him say the same words her little sister always said made Bonnie smile. She was starting to feel a bit more confident about the games. She was starting to think she might have a chance to win.

_**'I Don't Need Your Thoughts, I Still Follow Mine,**_

_**And If I Fall, It Will Be My Fault.'**_

"They are still at the gauntlet?" Bonnie couldn't believe it. The training day was almost over and Damon, his partner, and the impolite jerk who ran into her, were all still competing in the obstacle course. She knew that they didn't really care to train, but she had figured they would have spent some time working on their survival skills.

"They're too good to spend their time training."

He didn't mind.

If they spent all of their time at the gauntlet and they didn't practice any survival skills then it would be easier to defeat them in the arena. These people were pampered. They didn't know how to start a fire. They didn't know which foods were edible and which foods were poisonous. Odds were, they would kill themselves off.

Someone else was stepping up to the obstacle course.

She had her blonde hair pulled back into a braid and she was wearing a blue training suit. Bonnie squinted her green eyes and attempted to read the number embroidered on her outfit. She wasn't sure, but she thought that it read _'District 10.' _The girl was brave to take on the gauntlet in front of all of the "better" districts.

_'I really hope she beats them...'_

Damon and his friends were all laughing at the blonde and telling her that she was going to fail. It was disgusting and it only reminded Bonnie why she could not be attracted to the man. He was a terrible person. He didn't care about the well-being of others. He wasn't trying to save her at the party, he was just trying to steal her sponsor.

"This ought to be entertaining!" The British man shouted at her. "Let's see what you got, Rancher!"

When Damon laughed at the District 4 tribute's joke it caused her stomach to twist in knots. It made her hate him. He was making fun of a girl who raised and took care of the animals that fed him and his friends. Essentially, he was making fun of Bonnie who had a very similar job. Only with even less reward. He was no longer charming in the slightest.

The District 10 tribute readied herself for the course.

She was visibly shaking and the comments they were screaming at her were only making her more nervous.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

She hastily pushed herself over the first hurdle and she started to jump from one to the next. She was moving at a decent speed and as Bonnie watched the clock count down she was just praying that she beat Damon's record. She wanted to show him that it didn't matter what district you came from, everyone was capable. When the blonde jumped toward the next hurdle, one of the people came out and smacked her in the knee with a padded club.

She lost her balance.

Reaching out, she tried to catch herself on the next hurdle, but her hands slipped and she fell face forward into the concrete smashing her nose. She screamed out in pain and stumbled to her feet, blood was pouring all over the place and the medics were rushing to her side.

Did Damon run to help her?

Did Damon look sorry for her?

No.

He and all of his friends were laughing at the poor girl. Even the expert who was standing at the station started laughing.

Seeing them laughing at the young woman's misfortune lit a fire inside of Bonnie that she hadn't felt for a long time. She felt this need to prove herself. She felt this need to prove to them that they were not the best. That others could beat them. That she could beat them.

"I think I can do it."

"Bonnie..." Marcel wanted to have faith in her, but he didn't want to see her get hurt

"What? It's pretty much the same thing as jumping from the tree tops, only less dangerous." Bonnie made it sound so logical. She always made things sound logical when she was stubborn about doing them. "Trust me, I know I can beat their times."

He sighed and smiled at her. He knew that there was no talking her out of it.

Bonnie Bennett was one of the most stubborn women he knew.

_'I can do this.' _She thought to herself as she started toward the gauntlet. Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing in her chest, but she was trying her hardest to calm herself down. She was fast and she had climbing skills. She could beat their times.

Stepping up to the front of the gauntlet, she held her chin up confidently and she shot a glare in Damon's direction. This instantly silenced his laughter. He knew that he had upset her by poking fun at the District 10 girl. _'Well shit, there goes all my chances with her.' _

"I want to do it!" Bonnie announced.

"What is with all these bloody farmers thinking themselves capable of the gauntlet?" The British man called out to her, trying to rattle her. It wasn't going to work though. She was determined and she was proud of where she came from. She had worked her whole life and she had kept her family alive to the best of her ability, all the while remaining a decent human being. Why should she be ashamed of that?

Damon didn't laugh this time. He didn't like that Enzo was making fun of Bonnie. He didn't understand why it bothered him so much. They had just done the exact same to another girl from a richer district than District 11.

_'I hope she doesn't slip and fall...'_

Bonnie examined each of the hurdles as she waited for the expert to tell her to start. She was estimating just how high she would have to jump to clear them. She kicked her shoes off. She knew that she would do better if she did it the same way she did back home.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

She lunged toward the first hurdle quickly. Curling her toes against the edge, she used the strength of her legs to launch herself up into the air and over one of the hurdles, landing on the next one in line. The people with the clubs were confused about what to do because she was flying over their heads and they couldn't hit her. Damon's blue eyes widened as he watched her curl her toes against the hurdle and flip over the last hurdle landing on the ground in front of the course. He hadn't expected her to be so agile.

It was actually very impressive.

He was starting to reevaluate his plan. Maybe it would be better to have Bonnie as an ally than to kill her off right away.

Bonnie was terrified to look up at the time. She would be devastated if she hadn't beaten their scores. But, finally she cast her green eyes up at the clock and she read the number. She had completed the course in twenty-seven seconds.

Her full lips twisted up into a proud smirk and she glanced over at Damon. His mouth was hanging open and he was staring at her. He couldn't believe that she had just demolished his goal time easily. She was becoming even more beautiful and unique every single day and he knew that he needed to get to know her better. He wanted to get to know her better.

Lifting his hands he started to clap for her.

It wasn't often that Damon admitted defeat, so it meant a lot that he was clapping.

"Well, would you look at that." The British man grinned. "I believe farming has been wildly misconstrued."

_**'Too Many Wolves In Lambs' Clothing,**_

_**Ready To Conquer And Rule.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Hey there everyone! I want to thank everyone for your support and for reading this fic! It means everything to me! It really does! I'm kind of worried that people are losing interest in this fic or I did something wrong, because I didn't really get much feedback for the last chapter... I hope that y'all are still interested in reading this! I'm sorry if the pace is moving too slow... The next chapter will be mostly ALL Bamon goodness! I promise! Lots of apologies and making up and bantering like married people! **

**I hope that y'all enjoyed this chapter! :)) I would love to hear your thoughts! How do you feel about Damon? What about Enzo and Denzo?! How are y'all feeling about Marcel and Bonnie's chances to win the games? Happy that she showed the boys up!? :)) Excited to see Damon try and make up for being such a jerk?**

**Thank you so much for reading this! ****I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	5. Training : Day Three

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Five**

**Training : Day Three**

**_'Another Battlefield, History Repeats Itself,_**

**_Just A Number Without A Name Or Face.'_**

_-Day Three - 10:00 a.m. _

Caroline wasn't too happy with him for completely screwing up his chances with Bonnie. Now that they had seen just how big of a threat she could be in the games, it was even more important to the blonde that they get her on their side. The plan was to pretend to be in an alliance with her and then to stab her in the back. Once she trusted them, her guards would be down and they could easily kill her.

It was the perfect plan.

She had been worried that Damon was getting a little too emotionally involved in the young woman from District 11, but he assured her that it was only about sex. He found her to be very attractive, but he could never date someone from such a poor district. His father would disown him and it would shame all of District 1. That wasn't something he wanted.

He had to keep his eye on the prize.

Which was winning the hunger games and receiving all of the prizes and praise that came with that honor.

The only flaw in their plan was that Damon had screwed up any chance he had at forming an alliance with Bonnie when he made fun of the District 10 tribute. He hadn't only offended the blonde woman who busted open her nose, he had offended Bonnie. Throughout training yesterday, she refused to even look at him and she chose training stations as far away from his as possible.

To get his mind off of her, he threw himself into practicing for the games.

He needed to work on his weaknesses.

Yesterday, he had been working on the ax. Today, he was working on archery.

Archery had always been his worst skill. He could throw knives, he could wield a sword, he could launch a spear directly through someone's heart, but he couldn't master the bow and arrow. It was actually pretty embarrassing. Luckily for him, he had composed the dream team. Caroline Forbes' expertise was the bow. Enzo was skilled with an ax. And he could do everything else.

But, there was still the chance that he would get separated from his team and he would have to fend for himself. He could get stuck with nothing to defend himself besides a bow and he would have to make it work.

Damon took in a breath and closed one of his eyes, focusing on the target in front of him. He used three fingers to hold the arrow on the string, just like he had been taught to do, then he drew the arrow back holding it at chin level and aiming it at the target. _'I'm gonna hit it this time.' _He thought as he released the arrow and watched it fly swiftly through the air. It passed right by the target and missed it entirely.

He could hear Caroline laughing at him and he bit down on his cheeks hard, trying not to let it throw off his concentration. Pulling out another arrow he placed it on the bow and he drew it back, the same way as he had before. Only this time he altered the aim a little. Releasing it, he watched it fly past the target again.

_'Damn it!' _Damon groaned out dramatically and dropped the bow to the table.

"I just don't get it! I can do_ EVERYTHING_ else halfway decent, why is it that I suck so bad at this?"

"Here." The blonde said with a wide toothy grin. She was looking forward to showing him up at something. The two were very competitive with each other. Yesterday they had raced in the pool and she had the pleasure of kicking his ass. "Let me show you how it's done." She waggled her brow at him and pulled an arrow from the quiver.

"I would love nothing more." Damon drawled sarcastically.

"Good." Caroline stated in a high-pitched voice. She had one eye closed and she was focusing on the target as she drew back the arrow. It only took her a second to release the arrow and hit one of the targets, then she was reaching for another arrow. She placed it in the bow and hit the second target dead in the bull's-eye. Her movements were so fast. It truly was impressive. Though he would never tell her that.

_'Wouldn't want to inflate her ego even more.'_

"See, just like that!" She said, satisfied with her performance.

"I see."

Caroline set down her bow and turned to face him. "Maybe you should just stick to what you're good at." She patted his shoulder. "Like seducing all of those unfortunate women."

"I can promise you that those women are very fortunate." Damon said with a suggestive tone and a waggle of his brow. He was obviously talking about them being fortunate sexually. That was all he ever did with women. He slept with them and then went on his way, leaving them behind. He wasn't someone that believed in love.

Not since that day.

"You are so disgusting."

"I know." His blue eyes widened and filled with excitement. He loved pushing her buttons. It wasn't quite as fun as pushing Bonnie's buttons, but it was still fun.

"I was talking about Bonnie." Caroline reminded. "Or did you forget about the plan?"

"In case you haven't noticed." Damon emphasized on each word, furrowing his brow at her. "I _ROYALLY _screwed up any chance I had with her."

"Maybe you should try again." The blonde nodded in the direction behind him and he turned to look over his shoulder. Bonnie was at one of the stations closest to the archery station. The fire building station. She was working on starting a fire. "If you ask me, you have a far better shot at seducing her than hitting one of those bull's-eyes."

"Yeah, well, no one asked you, Blondie."

Caroline rolled her eyes at his childishness. He was never serious about anything.

Damon turned on his heels and started to strut across the room toward the fire building station. The truth was, he knew without a doubt that he had no chance of "wooing" Bonnie after the shenanigans he had pulled the other day. He had been a total ass and honestly he didn't feel much remorse for making fun of the girl from District 10. That was what he had always been taught to do. People in District 10, 11, and 12 were beneath them. But, he wasn't one to give up when he was told he couldn't have something.

When he was told he couldn't have something it only made him want it even more.

He looked at seducing Bonnie as another challenge.

"Yes!" Bonnie cheered, her full lips twisting up into a smile as she successfully lit the fire. She knew that the gamemakers could throw anything their way when they were in the arena, including freezing cold weather. She could need a fire to stay warm, to boil water, to eat food. It was very essential to her survival.

"That's hot." Damon said with a smirk on his lips and a playful glint in his blue eyes.

She groaned out and glared up at him. Somehow she had managed to avoid him all day yesterday while training, but here he was again. He was like a parasite. "Shut up and leave me alone, Damon."

"Just to be clear." He took another step toward her, ignoring what she said. "I was talking about the fire." He scrunched up his face in thought and then added, "But, you're hot too."

"Just to be clear." Bonnie said, standing to her feet. "I really don't care what you think." She started to walk past him, but he quickly moved in front of her, cutting her off and staring down into her green eyes. Searching their depths for any sign that she didn't completely hate his guts. He found nothing but frustration behind them.

"Look, I'm sorry about the other day with that girl." Damon said with a smile. His words didn't sound genuine. He wasn't sorry. "Just give me another chance?"

He looked so confident in that moment that it enraged her. He actually believed that all he had to do was smile at her and it would make up for what a shitty thing he had done. He was just as bad as the others from Districts 1, 2, and 4. Always looking down on her people. Treating them like they were worth less because they didn't have money and they had to work for a living.

"Why don't you take a hint, Damon? I don't want anything to do with you."

"But, Bonnie!" He whined theatrically.

Damon reminded Bonnie of a child who was begging for something.

Marcel seemed to come out of nowhere. He placed a strong hand on Damon's chest stopping him in his tracks. He was all for his friend having a romantic relationship if it was what she wanted, but she had told him no. It was time for him to back off. "I believe the girl wants to be left alone."

He furrowed his brow and shook his head in disbelief, pushing the District 11 tribute's hand away from his chest. "What are you, her protector or something?"

"That's exactly what I am. Don't you forget it."

"Come on, Marcel!" Bonnie called to him. "He isn't worth your time."

_**'Fly Away, I Will Not Stay,**_

_**I Do Not Wish To Play Your Game.'**_

Hours had passed and her patience was growing thin. Damon had been following her around to every station she trained at, blatantly flirting with her. Not only was it embarrassing and annoying, it was distracting her.

She was beyond frustrated as she swung the heavy sword at one of the dummies. The sword was large and difficult for her to maneuver because of her size, but that wasn't why she was frustrated. She was frustrated because every single time she hit one of the dummies, Damon would let out an "ooh" or an "aw" from the sideline.

"Can't you make him go away?" Bonnie asked the expert through grit teeth.

"No can do, miss." He said. "He's just waiting for his turn to use the station."

"Yeah, Bon-Bon." Damon loved how flustered she got when he used the nickname. It was so much fun to tease her. "I'm just sitting over here, innocently waiting for my turn. I need to practice my sword skills."

_'Like hell he does.' _She thought, striking the dummy again with the blade of the sword.

"You're holding it wrong." He observed.

"That's what the expert is here for." Bonnie told him. She didn't need him teaching her how to use a weapon. She didn't need his help at all.

Damon sighed and looked over at the expert. He could tell that the man didn't care to teach the District 11 tribute how to properly hold a sword. He probably was betting against her team in the games. Most people from the Capitol were. "She's holding it wrong, huh?"

"It's not perfect. But, it's not bad for a beginner."

_"Not bad" _is gonna get her killed and you know it." He said, his eyes widening as he said the word _'it.' _If Bonnie attempted to kill someone in the arena holding the sword like she was, it was more likely to injure her wrist. "Here, let me show you." He said approaching the young woman.

"I'm fine." She countered stubbornly. Bonnie didn't want his help. She didn't want him to get some sort of satisfaction in helping out one of the "weaker" players. She didn't trust him and she knew that Damon wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He had another reason. She just hadn't figured it out yet.

"Exactly." He sang. "You are _"fine." _Not great. And what's-his-face over here doesn't give a crap about you. But, I do."

Damon was now standing close to her. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body. For some reason hearing him say that he cared about her warmed her heart, but she knew that he didn't really care about her. It wasn't possible. Damon only cared about himself. _'Then why exactly is he helping me? What is he planning?'_

"If you wanna die, that's fine by me." He smirked. "In fact it will help me win the game."

Bonnie glared at him when he said that.

"But, if you actually wanna live then you should let me show you how it's done."

She thought about it for a second. On one hand, she would have to take Damon's advice which was something she had never wanted to do, but on the other hand, it could help her survive longer in the games. "Okay, show me." Bonnie lifted the sword and started to hand it to him, figuring that he would demonstrate for her and then let her try.

She was very wrong.

Instead, he curled his fingers around hers on the grip of the sword, twisting his body around hers so that he was standing behind her. Bonnie could feel the heat of his chest pressed flush against her back. She could feel the fire spreading along her fingers where he was touching her. Her stomach was twisting violently and filling with butterflies, and her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. She hated how being close to him affected her. She didn't have any feelings toward him. She hated everything that he was.

Yet, when he touched her it ignited a fire deep inside of her that she had never thought possible.

Damon smirked and placed his other hand on Bonnie's small hip, pulling her body closer to his. He was a little surprised that she hadn't pulled away from him yet. _'She must like it.' _

"You smell yummy." He said with a waggle of his brow at her.

The moment was ruined.

"Okay, that's it. I'm done." Bonnie started to pull away from him. She should have known that this was all some sort of sick game to him. She thought for once he was actually trying to help her out.

"Oh, Bonnie!" Damon stretched, holding her in place and digging his fingers into her hip. She had to stifle a moan when she felt the pressure against her sensitive skin and she internally berated herself. "I really am just trying to help."

"Then you seriously need to stop with all the flirting, it's driving me crazy!"

He refrained from making a sexual joke about driving her crazy and instead chose a less direct approach. "No more flirting." He nodded his understanding. Then he leant forward so that his lips were hovering only inches away from her ear and he whispered hotly against it, "I promise."

Bonnie shuddered when she felt his heated breath rush against the skin of her ear and neck. _'Is he flirting with me again!?'_

_**'Sometimes It's So Hard To Find,**_

_**The Courage To Take Off The Mask.'**_

Training with Damon hadn't been so terrible.

He had limited the flirting and Marcel had always picked training stations close to the sword station so that he could keep an eye on him. And honestly, she felt a lot better about her sword skills now. She had faith in herself. Bonnie wasn't an expert by any means, but she thought that if she got a sword in the games she could effectively use it to kill someone.

_'I really don't want to kill anyone...' _The thought of taking someone's life made her sick. Everyone in the games were young. They had their families cheering them on. They had their lives ahead of them. And she would have to take that from them so that she could survive.

It wasn't fair.

She hated it.

"If you're going to just follow me around all day, I might as well teach you one of my skills." Bonnie said with a twist of her lips as she spotted the tree-climbing station. She didn't really want to help Damon so much as she wanted to see him fall on his ass. Her need to teach him a lesson was only heightened when she noticed he was flashing her a look that said, _'As if you could teach me anything.'_

_'He's so cocky considering I kicked his ass at the gauntlet.' _She thought.

"_YOU_ are going to teach _ME_ something?" He laughed a little at the thought. "I don't think so."

Bonnie ignored him and continued heading toward the tree-climbing station. She knew that he wouldn't be capable of doing what she could. He probably had never climbed a tree in his life. _'Wouldn't wanna break a nail. He is such a drama-queen.' _

He furrowed his brow and his blue eyes filled with worry as he stared at the large towering tree. Damon had never climbed a tree in his life. When Stefan and him were children they were far more interested in sword fighting and swimming in the pool. _'That tree looks absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to climb! The first branch is like eight feet in the air!' _

"Not gonna happen. I'm flexible, but I'm not an acrobat." He said.

"It doesn't take an acrobat." Bonnie smiled. She felt proud to know that he was scared to do something that she had been doing since the age of five. "It's actually pretty easy. The kids in District 11 learn how to do this when they are five. Just watch closely."

She kicked off her shoes.

Damon's ego was on the line now. She had just told him that five year old kids in District 11 were capable of climbing up into the tree, so now he had no choice, he had to do it. For his district. For his dignity. He pressed his lips together tightly and furrowed his brow, watching her every move. When he tried a new technique or skill he always strove to do it perfectly. That was what his father had drilled into him.

_'If it isn't perfect, don't bother doing it at all!'_

He estimated the distance from the ground to the branch and shook his head. _'There is no way she can reach that branch. NO WAY. She's a midget.'_

Bonnie sprinted toward the tree swiftly. She was running so fast that he was sure she was going to slam right into the trunk and hurt herself. But, she didn't. Instead, she jumped at the trunk and she started to run up it. Making it look like the easiest thing in the world. Her toes curled into the bark and she launched herself onto the branch, holding on and doing a flip. She landed the flip, standing up straight on the branch and smiling down at him. She didn't even look like she was out of breath.

_'How the HELL did she just do that!? Kids in District 11 do THAT!?'_

She climbed up to a higher branch and she sat down, swinging her legs over the side. Bonnie couldn't wait to see him attempt to do what she had done. "Your turn!"

Damon sighed loudly and prepared himself for the sprint. He couldn't turn down her challenge now. It would bruise his ego too much. He was sure that the _"little trick"_ was just about mind over matter. He was more physically fit than Bonnie, so he could easily do what she had done. He just had to not chicken out. "Do I have to take off my shoes?" He wondered with a disgusted twist of his lips. "That seems unsanitary."

"You don't have to. But, it will help."

He decided not to take them off. He didn't like the feeling of dirty feet. He was a surprisingly tidy man.

_'On your mark.' _He thought, trying to get himself psyched up. _'Get set, go!' _Damon ran toward the tree as fast as his legs would carry him. Approximately a foot away from the tree he jumped at the trunk like Bonnie had, and he attempted to run up it. It didn't work and he started to fall backwards. Luckily, he was taller than the young woman so he reached out and grabbed onto the branch, holding onto it for dear life. The bark was scraping the skin of his hands as he used all of his might to pull himself up to his elbows.

Now he was just dangling off of the branch. Bonnie was staring down at him with a satisfied smirk on her lips. He glared at her. "A little help?"

"I think you have it." She said.

Damon felt his muscles burn as he lifted his leg up and caught his ankle on the branch to help him pull himself up. It wasn't nearly as graceful as Bonnie's landing, but it worked and he was up in the tree. He leant back against the trunk, breathing heavily.

Bonnie easily moved down to the branch, sitting next to him. She looked like a little bird perching on the tree branch. It was so natural for her.

"You didn't do so bad." She told him. "Rue fell and hurt herself the first few times she tried it."

"Why are you guys so good at this?" Damon wondered curiously. "Is it 'cause there is nothing better to do in District 11?" His tone was judgmental. He was making an assumption about her home. He was assuming that since they were poor they had no other sources of entertainment.

"Actually, when kids in District 11 turn five years old, they are taught how to climb the trees in the orchard in order to pick the fruit for the Capitol." She hoped that explaining her situation back home would help him understand her. She knew that he was naive to how dangerous the world was outside of District 1. In a way he was brainwashed. "About a third of the kids actually die climbing and jumping from the trees, but the Capitol doesn't care about that as long as they get their fruit."

"Oh." He didn't know how else to respond. The conversation had taken a dark turn and he felt uncomfortable with it. He didn't want to sympathize with the people from District 11. But, he couldn't imagine if it was like that in District 1. The children were spoiled and they never had to work. And if someone did die on the job then the Capitol would give them a memorial service.

"So." Damon stretched with a smirk. "I just have one question."

"And what's that?"

"How the heck do we get down from here?"

_**'Tomorrow Won't Be Easy,**_

_**But Our Shoulders Might Now Be Strong Enough.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so very much for all of your wonderful reviews and encouragement! Seriously, it means the world to me just hearing from y'all! It keeps me writing! :)) So, seriously, thank you all! I really hope that you guys enjoy this chapter! It's the first chapter centered entirely around Bamon! I hope that I got them in character and kept true to their personalities! Thoughts on this chapter y'all?! Do you think that right now Damon only wants sex from Bonnie? Do you think he plans to go through with killing her? Did y'all like how they taught each other skills? **

**What do y'all wanna see more of? Do you want flashbacks to Bonnie and Damon's lives? More flashbacks of Rue? More of any of the characters? A new character added? I'm willing to work with any ideas y'all send my way!**

**Thank you again SOO MUCH for everything! I am so happy that y'all are enjoying this fic! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	6. Training : Private Sessions

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Six**

**Training : Private Sessions**

**_'Unfailingly Naive,_**

**_Maybe I Just Fell In Love With Being The Dream.'_**

_-Day Four - 10:00 a.m._

This was the moment of truth.

Damon had been preparing his entire life for this very moment. He was about to be judged and ranked by the Gamemakers. His goal of course, was a perfect 12. He wouldn't settle for less than that. His father wouldn't settle for less than that. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest as he waited for them to announce his name.

He would be the first tribute to enter the training room.

_'I better get a 12. I just gotta get a 12 or dad is gonna be so disappointed.' _Even though his father had never competed in the hunger games he had always stressed that if he had, he would have received a 12 at the private training session. He glanced over at his partner. She looked just as anxious as he was. Her head was in her hands and she was muttering something under her breath. Everyone in District 1 put a lot of pressure on their kids to compete well in the games. If they didn't, they would shame everyone.

_"Damon Salvatore." _

His stomach tangled violently and he could taste the bile in his mouth as he heard his name. He felt like he was going to vomit. The weight of the pressure on his shoulders was suffocating. He only had one shot to impress the Gamemakers. He had to remember his techniques and execute them perfectly. If he made one mistake he wouldn't receive a 12.

"Good luck." Caroline told him with a small smile. She didn't care much for Damon as a person. The two of them had never really gotten along, but she knew the pressure his father put on him. She had watched Stefan crumble under that same pressure numerous times before.

"Thanks." He forced a smile and stood to his feet.

Damon leant his head back and took in a deep calming breath before letting it out. The large mechanical door opened and he headed through it, entering the training room. He had picked to demonstrate his skills with the sword. Though he had many skills, that was the one he felt most confident with. Stefan and him had been practicing sword fighting since they were three years old.

_'Thud. Thud. Thud.' _

His heart was pounding vehemently in his ears.

Across the vast room, he could see a weapon rack holding a single sword. The Gamemakers were all sitting in a brightly colored room, lounging in their chairs, sipping on their alcoholic beverages. As Damon neared the rack, a few of them raised their glasses to him, offering him their support. All of them were wearing encouraging grins and watching him eagerly. They couldn't wait to see what the District 1 tribute had to show them.

Damon's lips curled up into a confident smirk as he pulled the sword off of the rack. The grip felt comfortable in his hand. It felt just like home. He had no more doubts. He could do this.

Slowly, he approached the four dummies that were placed around the room.

Everyone was silently watching him. They were expecting to be impressed. They were rooting for him.

"This is the District 1 tribute, Damon Salvatore." One of the Gamemaker's said to another. "My bets are on him winning the entire thing."

This gave Damon a boost of confidence as he raised his sword and prepared to attack the dummies. He took a second to observe each of their positions in order to calculate a game plan, and then he launched toward them.

He easily cut the first dummy's head clean off it's shoulders. Then he twisted on his heels and jumped through the air at the second dummy, severing both of it's arms. His posture was perfect and his technique flawless as he twisted his body and stabbed the sword through the third dummy's heart. Finally, he faced the last of the remaining dummies and he severed it's head from it's shoulders. He managed to kill and severely injure all of them in a matter of thirty seconds. It was one of his personal best times.

Damon turned to face the Gamemakers, running a hand through his dark hair. They were all politely clapping for him and cheering him on. It made him feel confident he would have a high score. _'Just PLEASE be a 12.'_

"Thank you, Damon. You are excused."

Twisting on his heels he started to strut out of the training room. He felt like a hundred bucks. He just knew he was going to have a great score and he couldn't wait for his parents, Stefan, and his district to see it. They would all be so proud of him.

Caroline's head snapped toward the door as it started to open. She saw his cocky grin and she knew that he had done a good job. She hoped that she would be as lucky. She let out a breath and started to pull her blonde curls back into a ponytail. She would be going next and she didn't want anything to get in the way of her accuracy.

Damon sat down next to his partner. As much as he couldn't stand Caroline, he had to stick around and support his district. He was hoping she scored high as well.

"How'd you do?" She asked with a nervous smile.

"Let's just say, it's gonna be a difficult performance for you to follow, Blondie." He said with a playful waggle of his brow.

"I do believe he is challenging you, sweetheart." Enzo said with a smirk. He was sitting on the opposite side of her with his teammate.

"Yeah, well, challenge accepted!" Caroline declared. "I am so gonna kick your ass, Damon! Just you watch!"

_"Caroline Forbes."_

The blonde stood to her feet and stretched out her limbs preparing for the training room as she waited for the door to open. Her heart was racing in her chest and her hands were shaking. Her mother had never been as strict as Damon's father, but she had won the games, and Caroline felt like she needed to do the same to prove herself. She needed to do the same to be reunited with her.

_'You can do this. You just have to get a good score so you get sponsors.' _

She lifted her chin confidently and she walked into the large room. She could see the weapon rack holding the bow and arrows and she headed toward it. Caroline had been shooting a bow since she was old enough to hold one. She had always thought it would be a better weapon than a sword, because she could kill people from far away. She wouldn't have to get too close and that would help keep her alive.

All of the Gamemakers turned their excited eyes to her and watched her closely as she picked up the bow and put the quiver on her back.

She positioned herself in front of the moving targets and she readied her bow. Her goal was to hit the targets as quickly and accurately as possible the minute that her time started. They gave her fifteen minutes to hit them all. She wouldn't need that long. Letting out a breath, she steadied her hand and closed one of her eyes so that she could focus on the targets.

Caroline heard the buzzer signalling that her time was starting.

She aimed and drew back the arrow releasing it at one of the moving targets. It hit directly in the bull's-eye. Right after it started to soar through the air she was reaching for her next arrow and placing it in the bow. She hit one target after another in a matter of five seconds. More targets started to fall from the ceiling forcing her to lift the bow and aim up at them. She easily managed to hit all of them with equal precision.

Not once did she breathe. Not until she had successfully hit every target.

Once the targets stopped coming, her blue eyes landed on the clock and she noticed that she had hit them all in a minute and a half. That was an amazing time for an archer. She had hit over thirty targets.

"Exceptional job, Caroline." The Gamemaker said. "You are excused."

It was rare that a Gamemaker personally complimented your performance. _'He said I did an exceptional job!? Seriously!? Oh my God! I can't wait to rub this in Damon's face!' _

Damon looked up at his partner as she skipped through the mechanical door. He could tell by the wide toothy grin on her face that she had done a really good job. _'I hope she doesn't get a better score than me...' _He would be so embarrassed if that happened and he knew that the blonde would _NEVER_ let him live it down. She would tease him about it endlessly.

"They said my performance was exceptional!" Caroline exclaimed proudly.

"So." He furrowed his brow and shook his head at her. "That doesn't mean anything."

"Did they say your performance was exceptional?"

Damon's roll of his eyes answered Caroline's question. The Gamemakers hadn't complimented his performance. He stood to his feet. Now that his partner was done, they could leave the training center and head back to his room to wait for the results. They were planning on watching it together with their mentor and escort.

"Didn't think so." She laughed at him.

"One of them said that he was betting on me winning the entire thing." He bragged with a devious glint in his blue eyes.

"Before or after he saw your performance?"

"Shut up!" Damon groaned.

On the way out of the training center, he placed a hand on Enzo's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He was really hoping that he would get a high score. If he didn't get a high enough score then Caroline and him would have to break their alliance. They couldn't be teamed up with someone that wasn't as skilled as they were. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck." The British man countered with a cocky grin.

Damon loved his response. It sounded just like something he would have said. Enzo and him were a lot alike.

As he walked toward the exit, his blue eyes landed on the stunning young woman from District 11. She had her long dark curls pulled up into a ponytail and a look of pure determination on her face. She didn't look scared in the slightest. Which was amazing considering that the Gamemakers were going to be particularly difficult on her.

"Good luck, Bon-Bon." Damon sang, waggling his fingers at her and winking in her direction. She glared up at him, but she didn't say anything.

Bonnie felt a heated blush rush along her face and shoulders as he winked at her. She hated that he called her Bon-Bon and all of his other nicknames for her. She hated the way that her body reacted to hearing them. _'I don't get why I'm blushing! Gah! He's just trying to get under my skin and throw off my game. I need to focus on impressing the Gamemakers right now. I need sponsors if I am going to stand a chance in hell of winning the games.' _

She didn't know when her view had changed on the games. Somewhere along the line she had gone from dreading them entirely and knowing she was going to die, to feeling like she could actually win them.

_"Tyler Lockwood." _

A young man sitting across from her stood to his feet. He had toned arms and he looked to be very strong. His short black hair was spiked up, and he had naturally tan skin. His shirt had the words _'District 2' _embroidered into it in bright gold. He was one of the other people who had spent a good majority of his time training at the gauntlets.

_'This is going to take forever.' _Bonnie realized. She was starting to get impatient.

"Tell me you aren't dating that bloke from District 1." The man sitting next to her said. She furrowed her brow in confusion and looked over at him. He had brown eyes, wild dark hair, and a cleft chin. He was speaking in a British accent. He had a dark blue training uniform on with the crescent moon above his district number. He was from District 6.

Bonnie didn't know much about the people from District 6 aside from the fact that they were the most rebellious district. They didn't follow the rules of the Capitol. They were constantly causing mischief. Misusing drugs and alcohol, and committing petty crimes. He was definitely not the type of guy she should take home to her mother._  
><em>

His question finally registered and she scrunched up her face in disgust, "You mean Damon? No. I am definitely not dating him."

"I didn't figure, but the two of you seemed awfully flirty." He teased.

Bonnie clenched her jaw and her muscles tensed when she heard him say that he didn't figure she was dating Damon. She knew why he assumed she wasn't. It was because he was from District 1 and she was from District 11. "Why didn't you think we could be dating? Because he's from District 1 and I'm from District 11?"

"Precisely."

_'Wow. He's just as bad as Damon!' _Before she had the chance to call him out on being an asshole, the British man explained what he meant.

"You are from District 11. You know what hard work is. You are undoubtedly a kind individual. I couldn't possibly see you dating a bloody wanker like that."

"Oh." Bonnie was shocked by his reason for thinking that the two of them weren't dating. "In that case, thanks?" She had never expected the young man to think that Damon was out of her league. But, apparently he did. It was actually really refreshing. Everyone else kept treating her and Marcel like they were beneath them, but this man looked up to them for being from District 11.

He grinned from ear to ear. "You expected me to treat you like the rest of the Capitol huh? Not me. I couldn't give a bloody fuck about what the Capitol deems worthy! I'm smarter than they are. I know without District 11 we would all starve to death."

_'See. Why can't Damon understand that?' _She didn't know why she was thinking about him again. It was like he was always invading her thoughts lately. _'It doesn't matter if he understands or not! You don't need him to understand you!'_

"If you ask me, the entire Capitol is filled with lazy bastards. The whole lot of them." He said. "They just sit up in their castle while us worker bees provide them with everything they bloody well need. I mean, those District 1 assholes aren't treated better because they are better than us, they are treated better because they provide them with their most valuable products. Hair-stylists and colorful gems and diamonds."

"What do you do?" Bonnie wondered curiously.

"My name's Kol and I'm a mechanic. I work on their precious shuttles. Without our district they would have no form of transportation."

"I'm Bonnie." She smiled.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bonnie." Kol said with a devious twist of his lips.

_**'With The Only World I Ever Knew Balanced On One Shoulder,**_

_**And A Heart I'm Just Getting Used To, Beating On The Other Sleeve.'**_

"Wish me luck." Marcel said with a smile at his partner. It was finally their turn to go into the training room. Everyone else had left, aside from the District 12 tributes. He was excited to get into the training room and show the Gamemakers what he was made of. He had always been very competitive and now was no different. He wanted a high score. For himself and his district.

"You aren't going to need it, but good luck." Bonnie said. "You'll do great in there."

"I hope so."

_"Marcel Gerard." _

"Okay, here we go." He stood to his feet and clapped his hands together, eagerly waiting for the door to open. Marcel had chosen to prove his skills with the sickle after training with it. The expert had been impressed by his skills and he took that as a great sign. Hopefully he could impress the Gamemakers and get some sponsors as well.

The large mechanical door started to open and his heart jumped into his throat. He moved toward the entrance and started to walk through the large room. In the distance he could see a small neon room filled with people sipping on alcohol and laughing. None of them seemed to be paying attention to him as he approached the weapon rack with the sickle on it. He felt like he didn't even exist. They just continued talking to each other.

He didn't like it.

He didn't like being treated like he was nothing.

"Ahem!" Marcel coughed loudly. They all turned to look at him with appalled expressions on their faces. "Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you guys might want to actually watch my private session."

The Gamemakers laughed. "Why don't you put that sickle to good use and harvest some wheat for us!"

He bit down hard on his cheeks when he heard them making fun of him. It wasn't fair. They hadn't even seen what he was capable of and they were already writing him off. Marcel decided to just ignore them and make them eat their words. Once they saw how good he was with the weapon they would realize he was actually a threat.

Reaching out he gripped the sickle firmly in his hand.

All of their eyes were on him.

He just knew that they were waiting for him to screw up so that they could end his session and make fun of him. Marcel didn't intend to give them that satisfaction.

There were four dummies positioned around him. His brown eyes scanned each one of their positions, observing them for the fastest and most precise attack. They were set up similarly to the dummies at the training station.

"You're time already started!" The Gamemaker warned. They were supposed to sound the alarm when their times started. It was like they were intentionally trying to sabotage him.

Marcel ran toward the first dummy as fast as his legs would carry him. Approximately three feet from the dummy, he did a front flip and on his way back down he pierced the dummy through the throat with the sickle. Twisting his body he flipped over the second dummy and he pulled the curve of the blade toward it's throat, cutting it's head clean off. He jumped toward the third dummy and he sunk the blade into it's throat and then he kicked himself off of it's chest and delivered a deadly wound to the final dummy.

He was breathing heavily as he stared up at the time. It had taken him thirty-five seconds which was very impressive considering they started his time before he was ready.

None of the Gamemakers said anything to him.

Marcel simply walked out.

Bonnie cast her green eyes toward the mechanical door as it opened and her partner walked through it. He was shaking his head at her and she was worried that he had made a mistake. _'Oh god, what happened? I hope that he did a good job...' _"How did it go?"

"I did great." He admitted with a confident smirk. Marcel was happy with how he had done in the training room, he just hoped that his scores would reflect his efforts. He deserved a high score. "But, those Gamemakers are complete dicks just like everyone else here. They told me I should put my sickle to use and harvest wheat for them." He plopped down next to her. "Can you believe that?"

"That's terrible!" She exclaimed angrily. She was so tired of how everyone treated them. _'I really don't know how Rue stayed so positive through this experience.' _"I just want to go in there and show them that they can't count us out."

Marcel loved that her fire was back.

She was the same determined woman she used to be prior to the loss of Rue. She wanted to fight. She wanted to win.

_"Bonnie Bennett."_

"Well, there's your chance." He reached out and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Show em what you're made of, Bon-Bon." He teased.

"Ugh! Don't you dare start calling me that!"

"Why not? It's kinda cute."

"It is NOT cute!"

Marcel had been teasing her about her relationship with Damon constantly. He was always asking where her boyfriend was. Singing Bonnie and Damon sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. No matter how many times she told him that she didn't like Damon, he wouldn't drop it. In fact it only made him tease her more.

Bonnie stood in front of the door and she waited anxiously for it to open. She wanted her chance to prove herself. She wanted her chance to prove that District 11 still had a chance in the games. They weren't to be ruled out simply because of where they came from. The door opened and she swallowed hard. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest. She felt like she was going to pass out. But, she lifted her chin confidently and walked through the door into the spacious room.

For the most part it was empty. Aside from a small bright purple room where all of the Gamemakers were chatting away and eating, a few targets, and a weapon rack with her throwing knives.

The hard floor was cold against her feet. She had decided against wearing shoes. She wanted to be able to climb. If she combined her two greatest skills then she was bound to get a high score.

As Bonnie reached the weapon rack, she collected her knives and waited impatiently for someone to notice her. They were all talking loudly and laughing as they sipped on their drinks. It was like she wasn't even in the room. They didn't care to watch her because they already assumed she was going to have a low score. It infuriated her. She looked around at the room that they were sitting in. It was up on a platform. She decided to use it to her advantage.

She quickly ran toward the platform and she did a flip on to the lower edge, then she climbed up on top of it.

Everyone was paying attention now.

They were looking up and trying to see her. Bonnie was climbing across the exposed ceiling rafters. She was at least twenty-five feet above the ground. But, she wasn't scared in the slightest. Back home she climbed trees way higher than this. She easily jumped from one rafter to the other. Even flipping a couple times. She could feel them staring at her with intrigue.

They had never seen anything like it.

Bonnie positioned herself up in the ceiling rafters where she could clearly see the targets below. Lifting her knife she steadied her hand and breathed calmly, focusing on the target. Pulling back, she released the knife as fast as she could and watched it fly across the room, hitting the target in the bull's-eye. Then she aimed at the next target. One after another she hit them directly in the center.

After she hit the final three targets and she was out of knives, she ran back across the rafters toward the platform and she did a double front flip, landing on the ledge in front of all of the Gamemakers. Her full lips twisted up into a proud smile.

Even if they wouldn't admit it. She could tell that they were impressed.

_**'You Cut Me Back Down To Size, Whenever You Decide.**_

_**Can Barely Stand The Sight, Of Your Plastic Grin Against The Light.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all again SOOO much for reading this fic and leaving me reviews! Your encouragement keeps me writing! And I love you all so much for it! I hope you continue enjoying the fic! I know that this chapter didn't have much Bamon in it, but it did have some Kennett for you guys and it kind of showed off all of the character's strengths! The next chapter will be the scores and then their first interviews and things are going to get REALLY heated with Bamon! Lots of confrontation in the next chapter! Lots of Drama! Also some more Kennett to come! And the games are right around the corner!**

**Anyhow, please do tell me what y'all thought of this chapter even though there wasn't much Bamon in it! What are your guesses on their scores!? Do you think Bonnie and Marcel did good? Will Damon get his 12? **

**Thank you all so much for reading! I hope that y'all enjoyed the chapter! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	7. Still Not Good Enough

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Seven**

**Still Not Good Enough**

**_'I Gave All I had To Give,_**

**_But That Still Wasn't Good Enough.'_**

Emerald eyes were glued to the television screen. Her heart was hammering away noisily in her ears. She was tapping her foot impatiently against the floor. All she wanted was to see the results and get it over with. She was tired of waiting. Bonnie was expecting a high score. Perhaps the highest score in the history of their district. And she was hoping Marcel would get the high score he was confident he would receive.

This was their chance to show the Capitol and all of Panem what District 11 was made of.

This was their chance to prove that they could win the games.

Elijah was hoping that they had high scores as well. Ever since he was victorious in the games, his views had changed drastically. Living in the Capitol had made him realize just how grateful he should be to the people in every District. They provided the Capitol with everything they needed and allowed them to never have to work. These people were fighting a battle for the entertainment of a lazy city that ruled over them. It wasn't an honor. It was a slaughter.

"How do the two of you think you did?" The British man wondered, crossing his legs and placing his hands properly over his knee. He was such a proper gentleman.

"I feel like I really impressed them." Bonnie admitted with a twist of her lips. She had seen the glimmer of excitement and awe in the Gamemakers' eyes. She knew that they were surprised by what she was capable of. She just hoped that it would reflect on her score. "At first none of them were paying any attention, but by the end they were all standing on their feet and watching me with surprised looks on their faces."

Elijah smiled when he heard that. It took a lot to get the Gamemakers to stand to their feet during the private sessions. Bonnie must have done something outstanding. "And you?" He wondered, turning to look at Marcel.

He laughed a little under his breath and shook his head as he recalled the way that the Gamemakers responded to him. "They definitely weren't expecting "the farmer boy" to do such a great job." His lips stretched into a devious smirk. He was rightfully proud of himself. "I'm pretty sure I got a really good score."

Their mentor was excited to see such pride radiating off of both of them. They were evidently confident in their performances at the private sessions, and he was proud of them. But, he was also worried. The Capitol had a way of rigging the game to help districts they liked and harm districts that they didn't like. He didn't want to see Marcel and Bonnie lose their confidence if their scores didn't match the work they put in. They needed confidence to win the games.

"I am proud of you. But, I want you both to keep in mind that the Gamemakers are biased and they have their own agenda." Elijah reminded. "Do not get your hopes up too high, and do not get too discouraged if you do not see what you expect to see."

Bonnie tugged her full bottom lip between her teeth and nodded her head. She understood what he was suggesting.

She didn't like it. But, she knew that there was a possibility the Gamemakers would rig the game in favor of the districts they wanted to win.

"That being said." Elijah smiled at them. "I wish you both the best of luck."

"Thanks." Bonnie was feeling less confident by the minute. She would be completely devastated if a low score showed up on the screen. She knew that she deserved at least a 9. _'But, probably higher. I doubt anyone else climbed on the ceiling rafters...'_

"It's starting." Marcel said, pointing to the television. He was so excited to see his score. It felt like his heart was going to burst through his chest.

Caesar Flickerman smiled widely. His crimson hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he had red eye shadow on. He was the one who announced the scores. The minute Bonnie saw his face pop up on the screen she forgot how to breathe. She had never expected to be so anxious to see her score. Her first day in the Capitol she didn't want anything to do with the games. _'I really just kinda want to beat Damon... I mean I hope he does good, but I want to do better...'_

_"As you all know, the tributes were rated on a scale from 1 to 12. This rating will not only determine their skill level, it will determine their likeliness, according to the Gamemakers themselves, to survive the hunger games!" _He paused and stared down at the paper in his hand. _"Starting with District 1. Damon Salvatore."_

His picture and district crest showed up on the screen and Bonnie glanced over his face. He looked even more handsome in the photograph than in person. _'How is that even possible? Why are all the hot guys such assholes!? Ugh!'_

She felt conflicted. She wanted Damon to do good, but not great. His ego was already way too big. He needed to be taken down a notch or two.

"Hey look, it's your boo!" Marcel teased with a smirk, nudging his partner.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest when she heard him tease her again.

_"With a score of 11!" _Caesar announced Damon's score with glee.

"Wow, he got an 11." She was surprised by the number. Hardly anyone ever got higher than a 10. Again she felt split in two. She felt sort of proud of him, but she was still disappointed. _'That's going to be almost impossible to beat...'_

_"Next we have Caroline Forbes. With a score of 12!"_

Bonnie and Marcel exchanged shocked looks. No one ever got a 12. They had apparently been underestimating the blonde's skill level. In the training center she hadn't really spent much time practicing in front of them, so they couldn't really see what she was best at and worst at. Most of her time was spent standing around. Bonnie had thought that she wasn't a threat. Now she was finding out that she just might be their biggest threat.

"Blondie actually beat him." Marcel said. "We better watch out for her. She's a lot tougher than she looks."

"That is an exceptional score." Elijah admitted. In his ten years of mentoring he had only seen three 12's. This being the third. It worried him. "It will be important to keep an eye on her and find out her weaknesses before you enter the arena. Whether that be emotional weaknesses or physical. Otherwise, she could easily win this whole game."

They both nodded.

Caroline had been skating by unnoticed until now. Sort of hiding her skills. Now, they were out in the open and everyone would be watching her and trying to figure out how to defeat her.

_"Next is District 2. Starting with Tyler Lockwood." _A picture of him showed up on the screen and Bonnie instantly recognized him as the young man that was practicing the gauntlet with Damon and the others. _"With a score of 10."_

"He was hanging out with Damon at the gauntlet." Bonnie told their mentor.

"Bonnie kicked all of their asses." Marcel bragged with a smirk. He had been so proud of his friend when she took on the gauntlet and beat all of their scores.

"You did?" Elijah asked.

Bonnie nodded her head with a proud smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, I guess I kind of did."

"Impressive. Who all did you beat?"

"It was Damon, Caroline, Tyler, and some rude British guy-" She paused mid-sentence and her eyes landed on the television. "-That rude British guy, actually."

_"From District 4, Enzo. With a score of 10."_

Elijah clenched his jaw tightly and he lifted his hand, running his fingers nervously along the scar on his neck. It sounded like they were forming a very powerful and unstoppable alliance. "He scored a ten as well? That is quite the alliance they have made. Two 10's, an 11, and a 12? They are going to be extremely difficult to take down."

"Just wait." Marcel said. "I think our scores are gonna be just as impressive." He wrapped his arm around Bonnie's small shoulders, pulling her body closer to his. "Bonnie here, threw her knives from the ceiling rafters."

"You did?" He was surprised. When they had told Elijah he was going to be mentoring the tributes from District 11 he had thought that they wouldn't be much of a force to be reckoned with. Every day they were proving him wrong. They were powerful. They were very intelligent. They had survival skills and knew which foods to eat and which foods not to eat. They had a chance at winning the games.

_"On to District 6." _Bonnie was dragged out of her conversation with Elijah and Marcel when she heard Caesar announce District 6. She had a new found respect for the district and the tributes from it. At least one of the tributes. _"Kol. With a score of 9."_

"That's the guy that I talked to at the training center." Bonnie told her mentor.

"And he received a 9." Elijah noted with a nod of his head. "I suggest that you and Marcel work on forming an alliance with him. He could be a strong asset to your survival in the games."

Up until that point, she hadn't really thought about alliances. Mostly because no one had really given them the time of day since they arrived. Most people didn't want to team up with them because they were from District 11 and they were "weak." _'I wouldn't mind being in an alliance with him...' _It was something she would have to consider. It would be nice to have the added safety, especially with 24 new tributes being added halfway through.

The next few minutes passed by slowly as Bonnie and Marcel waited earnestly for their scores.

Her hands were shaking and her heart was racing as she watched Caesar announce District 10's scores. _'God, I REALLY hope Marcel and I get good scores...'_

"Almost my turn." Marcel flashed her a toothy grin. He had no doubt in his mind that he was going to receive a high score.

_"Next we have our District 11 scores." _Caesar said with a smile. Deep down he was always rooting for the underdogs. _"Starting with Marcel Gerard." _His picture showed up on the screen and his smile widened. _"With a score of 6."_

Marcel's smile fell and his face scrunched up in disbelief. He couldn't understand the score. How could he have only received a 6? _'This game is obviously rigged, fucking assholes.' _"A 6 my ass. I killed all four of those dummies in thirty-five seconds flat." He was so angry. He just wanted to throw something at the television screen to make the announcer shut up about his score.

"This is not a measure of your skill, Marcel. It is a measure of your worth according to the Capitol." Elijah stated bitterly.

"I know, but a six!? Come on!" He groaned loudly and sunk back into the cushions of the couch.

_"Next is Bonnie Bennett." _She didn't feel hopeful at all. If Marcel got a 6, she was bound to get a low number as well. _"With a score of 7."_

Bonnie's score was slightly better than Marcel's, but it still wasn't very good. She felt completely discouraged in that moment. It seemed that no matter how hard they tried, no matter how many times they proved their worth, people were always tearing them down. No one wanted to see them succeed.

Elijah noticed the defeated looks on their faces and he frowned. They were giving up. They felt like they had no chance. But, he saw this as an opportunity. That was his job, to take things and twist them to work in their favor. "Don't allow this to defeat you two. That is what they are trying to accomplish. Instead, let's look at this as a blessing in disguise."

"And how exactly are we s'posed to do that?" Marcel asked despondently.

"You both received some of the lowest scores." This earned glares from both of the tributes. It was like he was rubbing salt in their wounds. "But, you did not deserves them. Others in the game won't be looking at you as the threat you actually are. They will be watching Caroline, Damon, Tyler, and Enzo closely to find their weaknesses. They will attack them first. They won't put forth as much of an effort to kill you."

It was true.

They could use their low scores to their advantage.

They still had a chance.

_**'Lift Yourself Up Off That Shelf,**_

_**You're Not In This Alone.'**_

Trumpets started to blare loudly and the crowd went wild. They were screaming and cheering and waiting for their host. The entire stage was shrouded in darkness, and no one could see anything. Not until the large colorful spotlights turned on illuminating two chairs. One was empty and the other was turned away from the audience.

_"Ladies and gentlemen!" _A loud voice echoed through the auditorium. _"Your host, Caesar Flickerman!" _

The music got louder as his chair started to spin on it's own. He was holding up his hands and waving to the loud audience. His vibrant crimson hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he had on a suit that matched it. Standing to his feet, he made his way to the front of the stage and waited for the music to die down before holding his microphone to his mouth and speaking into it.

"Thank you!" He shouted over the screams of the audience. "Thank you!"

Everyone silenced their cheering.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome! To the 75th annual hunger games!" Caesar looked around at the entire audience with a welcoming smile. "In a few minutes all of the tributes you have heard so much about are going to be out here! Are you excited!? Let me hear it!"

The audience screamed louder than ever.

"Everyone has been watching this skilled swordsman closely. Let's have a warm round of applause for Damon!" Caesar raised his hand in the direction of the stage that Damon would be entering and everyone started to howl and yell when the handsome young man walked out into the spotlight. His hair was slicked back and he had on a fitted hot pink suit.

His lips curled up into a devious smirk as he noticed all of the girls in the front row screaming to him. He loved the attention he had been getting from the ladies. He waggled his brow at the girls and they all screeched louder. Some people were even holding up signs with his name on them. The support was amazing. Now he just needed to do them all proud.

Damon already felt like a disappointment.

He had received a score of 11 and Caroline had received the perfect 12. She had been bragging about it endlessly and he was starting to grow bitter.

Caesar was now sitting in his chair again and Damon moved to sit in the chair next to him. He lifted his hand and waggled his fingers flirtatiously at the women in the audience once more before turning his attention to the host.

"Damon." He smiled. "I think everyone here would like to know. Are you prepared for the games?"

"I can't wait for the games." He stated confidently with a raise of his brows. Caesar and the audience could tell that he was excited to get into the arena.

"I LOVE that confident attitude you have!" The host said. "Don't you all just love that!?"

The audience went crazy again.

"You got a score of 11." Caesar said, looking to the audience with wide surprised eyes. He was very theatrical. "That's not easy to do. You must be so proud of yourself!"

Damon knew that he was going to bring up his score. It was an impressive score. Most people never got an 11 or a 12. But, he had wanted a 12. He could hear his father's voice echoing in the back of his mind constantly since he saw the score pop up on the television screen, _"Damon! Second place is just the first place loser! You can never settle for second best!"_

Despite his internal turmoil he put on a smirk and made it sound like he was nonchalant about it, "Well Caesar, I'm proud. But, it isn't the 12 I was hoping for."

The colorful host started to laugh at that statement. "Such a District 1 attitude! Never satisfied, always striving for better. It truly is admirable."

The audience cheered noisily. They loved his confident attitude. They loved that he wanted a 12.

"So, Damon, we know that you are a skilled swordsman, but what other skills do you possess that will help you in the games?" Caesar wondered. Sponsors were watching and they wanted to know his strengths in everything, not just his mastered skill.

"I can also throw knives, wield a spear, and just recently I've been "dabbling" in tree-climbing." Damon said in a playful tone of voice.

"Tree-climbing!?" He was shocked. "Interesting!"

"And of course, let's not forget my most important skill of all." Damon's blue eyes shimmered with mischief and his smirk stretched, "My charming personality."

All of the ladies started to screech and his pride only intensified. Caroline wasn't lying when she said that he was good at charming women. Usually, he could have any woman he wanted. All he had to do was look them in the eyes and they would head back to his bedroom with him. Bonnie was the only exception to that rule. When he had asked to go back to her room with her, she had turned him down. She was constantly turning him down and telling him no. It was so frustrating.

"How could we ever forget that!?" Caesar shouted over the screaming girls. "The ladies are just eating you up!" He paused and smirked, "Speaking of which, any special ladies in your life at the moment?"

"There are _PLENTY_ of special ladies in my life at the moment." Damon teased. "And there is still _PLENTY_ of room for more."

"I see." He had a knowing look on his face. "But I am speaking about one special lady in particular. A certain girl from District 11. Rumor has it that the two of you have something brewing behind the scenes! Care to elaborate?" He held the mic out to the tribute and he leant forward so that he could hear better. He loved romantic gossip.

"I don't kiss and tell, Caesar." His blue eyes widened. He wasn't denying the rumor.

"But, there is something to tell?"

Damon leant back in the chair and rolled his eyes to the ceiling shaking his head at the accusation. He licked over his lips and smirked devilishly as he said, "It's nothing too serious. We are just having some fun before the games. If you know what I mean?" He waggled his brow suggestively and Caesar gasped excitedly.

"Ooh! Tell us all about it!"

"You know how it is." He said. "All these ladies throwing themselves at me. Who am I to say no?" He sang the last words playfully.

Bonnie crossed her arms angrily over her chest as she stared up at the large screen in the room. They were all waiting their turn to talk to Caesar and as they waited they were watching the other interviews. She couldn't believe the things that Damon was saying. He was pretty much implying that the two of them were sleeping together. Her muscles tensed when he said the words _"all these ladies throwing themselves at me." _

It made it sound like she was a desperate girl who couldn't resist his charms. It made it sound like she was the one chasing him around like a lost puppy dog, when it was the other way around.

_'HE IS SUCH AN ASSHOLE!'_

"I though that you weren't dating that wanker." A familiar voice stated. Bonnie turned and saw Kol standing behind her, smiling at her.

"I'm not dating him." She insisted. "Or anything else, for that matter."

He laughed and nodded his head. "I had a feeling he was lying through his teeth. Typical District 1 tribute. Doing anything he can for attention."

Bonnie was too upset to really say anything. Damon was still going on and on about how he was sleeping with her. Any redeemable quality that she had thought Damon possessed, she was starting to doubt. She didn't think he was a good man at all. He was playing a game. Everything he said was a lie. It was just to win and get more attention.

"You wanna get back at him?" Kol asked mischievously.

She did.

It wasn't in her nature to get revenge. But, right now she wanted to get back at Damon. She wanted him to feel as terrible as she was feeling.

"What did you have in mind?"

"It's evident that the bloke fancies you." Bonnie gave him a disbelieving look when he said that and Kol laughed. "Even if he doesn't know the proper way to show it. I say you go out there and deny his claims. Tell Caesar that you are already dating someone else in the games. That'll be sure to fuel Damon's jealousy and rile him up." He smirked.

"If I say I'm dating someone in the games, Caesar will keep asking who it is."

"In that case." Kol took a step toward her and stared down into her eyes. "Tell him it's me."

"Damon will kill you if he finds out." Bonnie said. She knew that Damon had been trying to hook up with her since the minute she arrived. If he found out she was "with" someone else, she didn't know what he was capable of.

"We're all going to kill each other soon enough, love. May as well have some fun before we do."

_**'You Give, What You Get,**_

_**Nothing More, And Nothing Less.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so much for reading this fic! Y'all are amazing and I love each and every one of you! Y'all are what keep me writing! Honestly, I'm particularly nervous about this chapter... I hope that everyone likes the direction I am taking the fic! There will be some Kennett, but it will all be to make Damon jealous! If y'all like that idea! Of course they will get closer emotionally, but yeah Bamon endgame! :)) I really need to know if y'all like this idea and your thoughts! Anyhow! Thoughts on the chapter!? How do you feel about the scores? What about Damon's interview!? And Kol's plan!? Do you think Bonnie will go through with it!? Excited to see the inevitable Bamon/Kennett confrontation coming up!?**

**Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I hope that you all enjoyed it!**

**I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	8. Hey, Jealousy

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Eight**

**Hey, Jealousy**

**_'I'm Sorry, It's Got A Hold On Me._**

**_So Tangled Up In My Jealousy.'_**

"This next young lady has found a place in all of our hearts! We all share in her tragedy and we are all wishing her the best in the upcoming hunger games! Meet our District 11 tribute, Bonnie!"

She was surprised when she heard so many people start to cheer for her. Considering that she had received such a low score, she knew that they weren't cheering for that reason. They were cheering because of what happened to her little sister in the games the previous year. And they were cheering because of what Damon had said. A District 1 tribute and a District 11 tribute having a relationship was unheard of. It had never happened before. Even if it was only "sexual" like Damon had implied. It was still enough to rile up the audience.

Internally, she was struggling with Kol's plan.

She didn't know if she wanted to stoop down to Damon's level and lie about being in a relationship. It wasn't like her. Usually, she rose up and did the right thing no matter what. But, it was definitely tempting.

Bonnie forced a smile onto her lips and let out a breath in order to calm her racing heart. This moment was important. This was her last opportunity to make an impression on Panem and the Capitol before entering the games. Tomorrow evening they would be thrown into the arena. The thought made her sick.

She walked out onto the stage and she was blinded by the lights. She could barely see the silhouettes of people in the audience cheering her on. Everything was blurry and overwhelming. She was suddenly feeling dizzy and lightheaded. Bonnie wasn't used to all of the attention. Back in District 11, no one ever noticed her. Everyone was too busy worrying about their own lives. Here, everyone seemed invested in other people's lives for entertainment.

Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she had on a bright green headpiece that looked like ivy growing out of her hair and down the side of her face. The vibrant green popped beautifully against her caramel skin and it caused her emerald eyes to shine. To match the headpiece, she had on a short green dress covered in ivy. The vines traveled along the top of her shoulders and around her neck, holding the dress securely in place.

She looked absolutely stunning.

Bonnie moved to take a seat in the chair across from Caesar and she smiled politely at him. She was dreading the interview. _'I really hope he doesn't bring up Rue or Damon...' _

"Hello there, Bonnie! You look stunning this evening!" He smiled widely. He had a soft spot for her. Last year one of his favorite tributes, Katniss had won, and this year he was praying the same would happen for Bonnie. Anytime that someone unexpected won, he was elated. It wasn't that he was rebellious against the Capitol. He loved the Capitol. He just was constantly rooting for the underdogs.

"Thank you. You look stunning as well." Bonnie complimented him back.

"Well, I know I look stunning!" He teased playfully with a wink at the audience. "But, I'm nothing compared to you!" He returned his attention to the young woman. "You are looking more and more like you belong in the Capitol every day." He paused. "Speaking of which, are you enjoying your stay in the Capitol?"

"It's taking some getting used to." She admitted, trying to not offend anyone. "It's very different from back home."

"Different how?" Caesar asked curiously.

_'You have food and running water...' _Bonnie didn't dare say that. She didn't want to make it sound like she was complaining about where she came from. She wasn't ashamed to be from District 11. She was proud of her home. She just wished that people in the Capitol would spread the wealth around a little bit. They had so much food that they couldn't eat it all if they tried, and after meals they drank a liquid that made them vomit the food back up so that they wouldn't gain weight. It was such a wasteful world they lived in.

"The main difference is probably all the different types of foods you guys have here." She said with a smile. "Some of them I'd never even heard of. That and how colorful everything is."

"We do _LOVE_ our colors!" He sang, lifting his hands to display his crimson suit. Everyone in the audience started to cheer loudly when he mentioned them loving colors. Then, Caesar leant forward and stared into her beautiful green eyes. "What's your favorite type of food at the Capitol?" He held the microphone out to her so that she could answer.

Bonnie felt sort of selfish answering the question.

She knew that her mother and brothers and sisters were probably watching the interview.

"Oh come on, you have to have a favorite!" Caesar pressed when she didn't answer his question right away.

"I guess if I had to pick a favorite it would definitely be the doughnuts." Bonnie loved them. They were delicious. She had never tasted anything so good in her life, and that included the rare candy that she bought for Rue and herself. She was surprised by how many people cheered when she said her favorite food was doughnuts. She hadn't thought it was a big deal.

"And what's your favorite type of doughnut?"

"The ones with chocolate frosting and sprinkles." She said. _'This has nothing to do with the games. I really don't see how this is going to help me get sponsors... BUT AT LEAST we aren't talking about Damon or my sister...'_

"Those are scrumptious, aren't they!?"

"Yeah they are." Bonnie nodded her head. "I just wish I could send some of them to my family. I know my little brothers and sisters would love them." She could imagine it now. Her little brothers and sisters with chocolate frosting smeared all over their hands and faces. She wondered how her mother was holding up. She hoped that she was taking care of them.

"Well, once you go out there and win the games, you can send your family all of the sweets their hearts could possibly desire!"

It was a nice thought.

Even if she couldn't be a part of their lives, she could take care of them from a distance. She could keep food on their table and money in their pockets.

"Speaking of your family." Caesar started. Bonnie's heart sunk when she heard the words. "I don't mean to bring up a sore subject, but it is on all of our minds. A year ago your little sister, Rue, was sitting in that very same chair telling us not to count her out. I was rooting for her and my heart broke when she didn't win the games." He sounded like he meant the words. "Do you think what happened to her has altered your view on the hunger games?"

"I think that I'm not as naive as some of the other tributes here." Bonnie told him. She had Damon in mind. He seemed so excited to be a part of the games, but they were nothing to be excited about. "I understand just how dangerous and devastating this experience is. It takes lives. It destroys families."

She clenched her jaw and forced back her tears as she thought about Rue's death again. She had replayed it in her head over and over for a year and she still couldn't move past it. She never would. Losing her had changed everything. She missed her every day.

"But, I really don't want to talk about my sister, Caesar..." She breathed out.

"Understandably." Caesar said with a glimmer of sorrow behind his eyes. Bonnie hadn't thought he was capable of feeling sorrow. He always seemed so excited and energetic. Within a second he was back to the same energetic man, as he said, "Let's talk about this handsome young man from District 1 who has his eye on you!" He moved even closer to her, "Tell me, was it love at first sight!? Or rather, lust at first sight?"

"I want to take this moment to clear the air and tell everyone that there is nothing going on between Damon and I."

"That's not what he says!" The host sang. "Let's take a look at this behind the scenes footage of Bonnie and Damon at the tribute welcome party!"

Bonnie's eyes widened and she snapped her head in the direction of the screen. _'What behind the scenes footage!? They were filming us!?'_

_**'Damon took a step toward Bonnie and smirked down at her, a flirtatious glint in his beautiful blue eyes. "Jealous?" He asked.**_

_**"Not even close." She dismissed raising her chin.**_

_**"You look jealous." **_

_**"You're mistaking jealousy for frustration."**_

_**"Sexual frustration?" He waggled his brow at her. "I have a cure for that. Why don't you invite me back to your room?"**_

The video came to an end after that sentence and Bonnie couldn't believe the nerve that they had. They had made it look like she was jealous of another girl and then she invited him back to her room to make up for it. That wasn't even close to what really happened. They were taking the video out of context. The entire audience was "oohing" loudly.

"That didn't look like nothing to me!" Caesar exclaimed.

"That video was taken completely out of context." Bonnie insisted stubbornly. She didn't want people to think that she had slept with Damon. She didn't want him to have that satisfaction. _'You could always go through with Kol's plan...' _"If you showed the rest of it, you would see that I turned him down. I'm not interested in Damon. I am actually already dating a guy who is here, and it isn't Damon."

"Oooh!" The host was loving the drama. He lived for it. "Who is it!?"

Everyone was sitting on the edge of their seats as they waited to find out who Bonnie was dating. This was the first time she had heard the entire audience completely silent. They were all watching her closely. Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest as she thought about what she was going to do. Now was her only chance to back out and be the better person. But, she just wanted to get back at Damon so badly. She wanted to show him a taste of his own medicine. She wanted him to be jealous.

"His name is Kol."

There was no turning back now.

"You mean, this strapping young lad from District 6?" As Caesar asked it, a picture of Kol showed up on the screen and everyone screamed and cheered. They were eating up the drama. It made for good television.

"Yes. That's him." Bonnie said with a twist of her lips.

"He is a handsome young fella." The host said with a playful grin. "A little bit on the rebellious side, but you know what they say? Girls always fall for the bad boys." He laughed loudly and the entire audience laughed along with him. "I think we are witnessing the start of a very interesting love-triangle in the games!" He turned to face the audience and waggled his brow suggestively at them.

"No, there is no love triangle." Bonnie stated sternly. "Kol and I only have eyes for each other." She felt so devious in that moment. She wasn't a liar. She never did wrong. She was always the good kid. "I promise you, Caesar. There is nothing going on between Damon and I. He just wishes there was."

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!" Caroline said as she and Damon watched the interview from the other room. She smiled up at him and nudged his side with her shoulder, but he didn't smile. He didn't say anything sarcastic in response. His eyes were focused intently on the screen and his jaw was tight. "Guess we're gonna have to kill her the old fashioned way."

Still, he said nothing.

She continued to tease him. "I guess we can't rely on that "charm" of yours after all. It's a good thing I got a score of 12 huh?" She nudged his side again.

Caroline was sure that bringing up the score would get a reaction out of Damon. Every time she had teased him about it prior to the interviews, he had got upset. This time, it was as if he didn't hear her or he just didn't care. Her blue eyes filled with worry as she stared up at him. Something was wrong with her partner. Which wasn't good for her.

She needed him to be at his best for the games.

"Damon?" She asked, brows knit together in confusion. "I get that things didn't go according to plan, but it really isn't that big of a deal."

Damon couldn't hear a word that Caroline was saying. He couldn't hear anything, but the sound of his heart pumping blood through his veins. His muscles were tense and his brow was furrowed as he glared at the television screen. He was angry. He was upset that everyone thought he was a liar desperate for attention now. But, what was making him even more angry than that was the thought of Bonnie dating someone else. He didn't like the thought of her being intimate with another man.

His stomach was twisting violently into jealous knots and he didn't understand why he was so upset. He had never been a jealous person before. All he kept doing was repeating her words over and over again in his head.

_"Kol and I only have eyes for each other." "There is nothing going on between Damon and I." _

More than anything, Damon wanted to find Kol and tell him to back away from his girl. Deep down, he knew he had no right. He had never wanted a serious relationship with Bonnie and it wasn't fair of him to act this way. But, he felt like he had been finally getting close to Bonnie and now some other guy had swept in and took her away from him. _'Who the heck is this Kol guy anyways? He was nowhere to be found while I was flirting with her.'__  
><em>

"How could she say there is _NOTHING_ between us?" Damon asked turning to look at his partner. "There is obviously_ SOMETHING_ between us."

"Hate to break it to ya buddy." Caroline said with a wide toothy grin as she patted his shoulder. "But, I think you might have made it all up in your head."

"Who even is this Kol guy?" He spat.

"Why are you letting this get to you so much?" She asked. Damon was acting like he actually had feelings for the girl. She knew that his ego was bruised but he needed to move on. "It isn't that big of a deal! You tried your "charms" on Bonnie and she turned you down. I say, more power to the girl. She's smarter than I expected her to be considering she comes from District 11. I suggest you just move on and let it go."

Damon's eyes landed on Bonnie the second she walked backstage. He zoomed in on her like an animal hunting it's prey and he started to move through the crowd toward her. He needed to talk to her about what happened. He couldn't believe she was dating someone else. Why wouldn't she have told him?

Caroline scoffed loudly when he ignored her and started to walk away.

Before he could reach her, a young man cut him off and smile brightly at her. He recognized him from the picture. It was Kol.

"You did a splendid job out there, sweetheart!" He said, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss to Bonnie's cheek. A blush painted her skin when she felt the warmth of his lips against her cheek. She hadn't expected the contact. His lips hovered over her ear and he whispered hotly against it, "Play along. Lover-boy is watching us."

Realization covered her face as she heard his explanation for the sudden affectionate behavior. Damon was watching them. They had to act like they were dating.

_'Gah! Did he have to be British!? Even I find that charming! Damn it!' _Damon thought as he watched their interactions closely. He was still finding it difficult to believe that they were dating.

"Thanks, babe." Bonnie said in response. She felt weird calling a man who was practically a stranger babe, but she could see Damon visibly cringe when she said it and that caused her smile to stretch. Plus, it wasn't too hard to pretend that she was attracted to Kol. He was a very handsome young man and she did like him a lot. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on her back and then started to lead them away from Damon. As they walked past the young man from District 1, Bonnie was praying that he wouldn't say anything.

But, he was Damon. Of course he was going to say something.

Damon strut toward the "couple in love" with a devious smirk on his lips. He stepped in front of them and stared directly into Bonnie's green eyes. "Hey there, Bon-Bon." He raised his brow playfully as he used the nickname he knew she hated. "Aren't ya gonna introduce me to your new "boyfriend." I hear the two of you are going steady now." The way he said the word boyfriend made it sound like a joke. "Pretty weird considering I never saw the two of you together before now."

Bonnie looked like she was at a loss for words, but luckily Kol wasn't.

The British man tightened his grip around her small waist and he smirked at the other man. He was blatantly jealous. "The truth is, not that I think it's any concern of yours." He spit bitterly. "I wasn't sure that I wanted all of Panem to know we were involved. So, we were keeping our relationship on the down low."

Damon took a step toward the other man and stared angrily into his eyes. "Why. Don't. I. Believe. You?" His blue eyes widened.

"I don't bloody well care if you believe me or not, mate." Kol countered. "Come on, baby cakes." He grinned and started to walk past the District 1 tribute with Bonnie holding on to him.

Once they were out of Damon's sight, she glanced up at him and gave him a disgusted look. "Don't ever call me baby cakes again."

"Sweet cheeks it is." He grinned playfully and slapped her on the ass.

Bonnie glared at him and pulled herself away from him. She knew that Damon was nowhere near them now and they had no reason to continue being intimate. "Why did I agree to do this again?" She asked, only half-serious.

Marcel walked up to his partner with a confused look on his face. Last he knew, Bonnie had the hots for Damon and now she was apparently dating someone else. _'I can't seem to keep up!' _He looked between the two of them for a second and then his eyes landed on his friend. "When were you planning on telling me that you had a boyfriend? This whole time I have been sitting on the sideline rooting for Bamon and-"

"-What's Bamon?" She asked with a furrow of her brow.

"That's what people in the Capitol are calling you and Damon." His lips twisted up into a smirk. "It's a mash-up of your names."

Bonnie groaned out in annoyance when she heard that people in the Capitol had given Damon and her a mash-up name. She was hoping that after she dispelled the rumors the fans would drop it. She was mistaken. People still wanted them to end up together. "We have a mash-up name now?"

"Yep." Marcel said. "Now, stop changing the subject and explain-"

"-He's my fake boyfriend. I wanted to get back at Damon."

"Oh."

"Pleased to meet ya, mate!" Kol said with a wide smirk, holding out his hand to greet Marcel.

_**'Gossip, Rumors, Blatant Lies.**_

_**Can't You See, We're On The Same Side?'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so much for all of your support! I am happy to hear that y'all are enjoying where this fic is headed! I am sorry to say, but a lot of characters will sadly end up dying in this fic. There is just no way around that. But, I will try and make sure y'all get lots of moments before then! And Bamon will not die! I'm sorry for such a short chapter, but it's kind of preparing for the next which is going to be a long chapter with lots of drunken jealous Damon making a fool of himself, Kennett, and some important Bamon moments! **

**How did y'all like this chapter!? Did you like that Bonnie told them all that she was dating Kol?! Did you enjoy their little moment and how jealous Damon got? Please do tell me what y'all think! Y'all keep me updating really fast! :))**

**Thank you so much for reading! I love you all!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	9. Fallen King

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Nine**

**Fallen King**

**_'It's Getting Harder And Harder To Keep It Together,_**

**_One More Night, That I Won't Remember.'_**

The day before his death, Christ broke bread with his friends and downed a bottle of wine. He wanted to enjoy his last day on Earth and to go out in style. They were having their own version of the "last supper." Tomorrow night they would lose their freedom. They would be thrown into an arena, like modern-day gladiators, and forced to kill each other to survive. All eyes would be watching them and cheering for them as they fell to their deaths. The more bloodshed the better.

Of course, Damon doubted that Christ enjoyed his last days on the planet quite the same way as he was.

He doubted that he downed half a bottle of whiskey and tried to drown his troubles in the hottest girls in the room. He smirked at the thought. _'Who knows? He was probably a babe-magnet! Chicks dig righteousness, just look at Stefan.'_

Damon danced his way through the crowd of tributes and Capitol residents. His dark hair was no longer slicked back. Pieces had fallen into his face and other pieces were sticking up wildly. He didn't care though. He was too intoxicated to care about his appearance at the moment. He lifted the bottle of bourbon over his head and spun around in a circle.

The tributes were supposed to be limited on the amount of alcohol they consumed tonight.

The Capitol wanted them to be at their best for the games. They didn't want everyone hungover and unable to fight in the arena. But, Damon had used his charms to his advantage. They might not have worked on Bonnie, but they still worked on most girls. _'They worked on that cute bartender who gave me this bottle of bourbon.' _His lips curled up into a smirk and he waggled his fingers in her direction.

She was cute.

_'Why don't I just hook up with her? She's cute!' _No matter how many times he tried to convince himself to just hook up with another random girl, his mind always managed to wander back to Bonnie. She was the one that got away. She was the one he had pushed away. He knew that he had screwed up his chances with her, he just didn't understand why he cared so much.

His eyes landed on Kol and Bonnie as they swayed to the music.

Damon's face contorted in disgust when the young man ran his fingers along Bonnie's spine. They were so close to each other that it was making him physically ill. He wanted to be the one holding her body close to his. He wanted to be the one dancing with her. He could have his choice of any other girl in the room, but he only wanted her. He lifted the bottle of whiskey to his lips and downed another huge gulp when Bonnie rested her head against Kol's shoulder and her fingers ghosted along the nape of his neck.

The alcohol burned his throat and he could feel it taking effect. The more he drank the lower his inhibitions became. And they were already pretty low prior to consuming the alcohol.

His blue eyes hardened as he watched Kol's hands move even lower down Bonnie's back. His fingertips now resting just above her ass.

_'Okay, I can't watch this anymore or I'm gonna puke! I need to dance with someone right now. I need to forget Bonnie Bennett exists.'_

Damon stumbled drunkenly through the crowd. Running into a few people along the way. His eyes were on his partner. Caroline Forbes wasn't his type. He couldn't stand the girl. She had dated Stefan for years and not once did he ever find himself attracted to her. But, right now, he just wanted to dance with someone and she was there with him. She was the only one who understood what life had been like for him.

He walked up behind her and rested his chin against her shoulder, smiling and whispering hotly against her ear. "Wanna dance, Blondie?"

Caroline could smell the alcohol saturating his breath. It almost made her gag. She knew that Damon solved all of his problems in life by turning to the bottle, and she was worried about it. They were a team and she needed to be able to rely on him right now. "Actually, I kind of want to puke." She told him bluntly. "Why the hell would I _EVER_ want to dance with you?"

"A simple no would have sufficed." He bit back sarcastically.

"No, it wouldn't have!" The blonde turned on her heels and stared up at him with frustrated blue eyes. "Exactly how drunk are you?"

Damon lifted the half empty bottle of bourbon and he waggled it playfully, a devious smirk on his lips.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the bottle. "Are you kidding me!?" She practically screamed. "Okay, that's enough! The games start tomorrow Damon and you are gonna have a _HUGE_ hangover heading into that arena! That is no way to win!" Caroline attempted to reach for the bottle and Damon lifted it over his head and out of her reach, waggling his brow at her.

It was all a game to him.

Everything always was. He could never take anything seriously.

"You aren't my keeper." He told her with a playful smile. "I can make my own decisions."

"Fine!" Caroline shouted, giving up on trying to take the bottle away from him. Damon could be so stubborn and he was always sabotaging himself. Tomorrow was the biggest day of his life. It was all he had ever wanted. And now, he was throwing it all away at the last minute. "If you wanna die, I'm sure as hell not gonna stop you!"

"Thank you." He stated smugly. Lifting the bottle to his lips he took another large gulp, his eyes focused on a young blonde who was dancing in the center of the dance floor. She was the tribute from District 2, and she was hot. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Damon set down the bottle and started to waltz across the dance floor toward the beautiful blonde.

Caroline watched with confused eyes. He was acting so reckless. Even for Damon. She knew how dedicated he and his brother were to the games, and he was possibly throwing it all away for what? What had him drowning in a bottle of whiskey? Her eyes landed on Bonnie who was dancing with Kol and she furrowed her brow at them. _'He can't be doing all of this just because she said she wasn't interested in him and she has a boyfriend... Can he? Damon doesn't fall for girls. He just uses them... He can't be falling for her can he?'_

He twisted his body through the crowd of dancing people. His eyes fixed on one woman in particular. She had long blonde hair. The perfect body. And she was from District 2. She was the perfect woman for him. His father would be proud if he brought her home.

She was the perfect distraction.

"Wanna dance?" Damon asked with a flirtatious smirk and a waggle of his brow. The woman visibly swooned for him. It was what he was used to. Women were always throwing themselves at him. Just not one woman in particular.

"I'd love to." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her body closer to his, moving his hips to the rhythm of the song. He wasn't a great dancer, and he was even worse now that he was drunk, but the girl didn't seem to mind. She was mesmerized by his beautiful eyes and captivating smile.

Bonnie was smiling as she lost herself in the warmth of Kol's body. She truly felt like she could trust him. She liked having someone there with her, aside from Marcel, that she could trust. Suddenly, she spotted Damon over Kol's shoulder. He was dancing with the blonde tribute from District 2. His hands were on her hips and his lips were hovering above her neck. He wasn't holding back.

Her stomach tangled jealously when she saw him grab her ass.

_'Why am I getting jealous right now!? Gah! I don't want that! I don't want him!' _Despite her thoughts, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She hated the thought of him sleeping with the blonde.

Damon smirked and whispered against the woman's ear, "What do you say we head back to my room for some pre-death sex?"

"Mm... I'd love to." She responded.

He didn't even know her name.

He just knew she was hot and she wasn't Bonnie Bennett.

His eyes wandered across the dance floor toward the beautiful young woman who was still dancing with her "boyfriend" and his stomach lurched back and forth. Damon had been hoping to see her watching him. He had been hoping to make her jealous. But, she wasn't. Instead she was entranced in the British man from District 6. Her fingers dancing through his hair and her hips moving against him. Kol's fingers were dipping lower and lower and now he was practically grabbing her ass.

He shuddered disgustedly and shook his head at the sight. "Okay, that's it!"

"What are you talking about?" The girl he was dancing with asked. She didn't understand. One second he was inviting her back to his room and the next he was holding onto her hand and dragging her across the dance floor.

"Come on." Damon said. His eyes were locked on Bonnie and Kol who were dancing a little more and more intimately as the minutes passed. He was done standing on the sidelines and watching the display. When he wanted answers he got them. Right now, he wanted answers. He wanted to talk to Bonnie about what was going on.

"Are we going back to your room?" The District 2 tribute asked hopefully.

"Not quite."

He let go of the blonde's hand and he stood in front of Bonnie and Kol, drawing their attention away from each other. Damon ignored Kol completely and looked over at the stunning young woman with a playful smile on his lips. Bonnie couldn't deny that she loved his smile. He was a very handsome man, it was his personality that made him ugly.

"Mind if I cut in?" He asked, blue eyes connecting with green.

"Yeah, mate. I do mind." Kol spoke up. Whether the relationship was fake or not, he was going to act like it was real. He wouldn't just allow another man to cut in and start dancing with his girl.

"Oh, come on!" Damon stretched, turning his attention to Kol. He stumbled toward him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and then he "whispered" into his ear. "We can totally trade!" He was too drunk to realize just how loud he was being. "She's blonde, hot, and willing." He waggled his brow suggestively at the British man and the blonde rolled her eyes and started to walk away from him. She couldn't believe he was just going to trade her off for a District 11 tribute that received a 7.

"I much prefer my girlfriend." He stated, pulling Bonnie closer to him.

_'I much prefer your girlfriend too.' _Damon thought to himself. He was too drunk to really articulate his feelings. When he didn't get what he wanted he had a tendency to whine. He was definitely used to getting what he wanted. "Bonnie!" He groaned. "I just need to talk to you for a second!"

She knew that he wasn't going to leave them alone until he got what he wanted. And deep down, she wanted to talk to him. As much as she was enjoying seeing this jealous side of him, she missed talking to him. _'I don't know why I miss talking to him. He's been nothing but a liar and an asshole...'_

"Kol." Bonnie's full lips twisted up into a smile and she gave his hand a small squeeze. "Give us a second."

"Are you sure, love?"

"I'm sure." Before Kol walked away from them, she pulled him closer by the hand and she delicately kissed his lips. She could practically feel Damon fuming as he watched the kiss. His brow furrowed and a scowl on his lips. She loved his reaction. She truly believed that he deserved it after the things he had said during his interview.

"Let me just gouge my eyes out real quick." Damon stated sarcastically as he watched the two of them kiss. He felt nauseous.

The British man pulled out of the kiss and he ran his tongue along his lips. His devious brown eyes landed on the District 1 tribute and his lips curved up into a smirk. "We do far more than that behind closed doors, mate." He winked at him.

"Gross." Was all he said in response to that.

Damon didn't want to think about Bonnie and Kol screwing each other.

Kol walked away, but decided to keep up the facade. He was standing across the room with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the two of them closely. He was playing the part of her boyfriend.

Relief rushed over him when the other man was no longer touching Bonnie. His lips curled up into a devilish grin and he placed his large hands on her small hips, pulling her body close to his. He could feel every curve of her flawless body pressed against his body. The tempo of the music had sped up, so he was moving his hips at a faster pace. Again, he was dancing clumsily, but neither of them really minded.

She was too distracted by the warmth of Damon's body pressed up against her, and the way that his fingers were digging into her hips. She hated the way that he effected her. Her heart was racing in her chest. Her skin was on fire. Her stomach was filled with butterflies. _'How does he always do this to me?'_

"I can't believe you are dating that guy." He said with a repulsed look. "He is such a jerk!"

"As apposed to you?" Bonnie asked with a smirk and a raise of her brow.

"Point made." He grinned and nodded his head.

She could tell that he was slurring his words and she could smell the alcohol on his breath each time he spoke. It worried her. Tomorrow they would be thrown into the arena and forced to fend for their lives and as much as she hated him a lot of the time, she did care about him. She didn't want him to die. "Why are you drinking so much tonight, Damon? We enter the arena tomorrow."

"Worried about me, little bird?" Damon asked, leaning forward a little bit. His lips were only inches away from hers now and she couldn't help but stare down at them. "I figured you'd be hoping I die first."

Bonnie glanced back up into his eyes and sorrow filled green. She hated hearing him so defeated. She didn't understand. She didn't know him well enough to know if this was a pattern of his. She didn't know him well enough to understand why he was getting so upset about losing a chance with her. Was it just because he lost? Because he couldn't have what he wanted? Or was there more to it?

"I don't want anyone to die." She said. _'Especially not you...' _She couldn't say the words out loud.

"Don't worry your pretty little head." He laughed under his breath. "I'll be fine. Even drunk off my ass, I could fight better than half of these people."

His words did little to alleviate her worries. She didn't want Damon to die first. She didn't want him to die at all. He was being reckless, and quite frankly, stupid.

The tempo of the song picked up. Now it was a very fast song.

He smirked and pulled her body closer by her hips. Bonnie had to stifle a moan as she felt his body pressed tightly against hers. She loved the way that it felt. She loved the scent of Damon's cologne mixed with the natural scent of his sweat. It was intoxicating. It caused her body to react in ways that she had never thought possible. She could feel an aching desire between her thighs. She could feel the butterflies swarming in her stomach and her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She hated how badly she wanted him.

When green eyes landed on blue she lost herself in their depths. Behind them she found pure passion. Pure fire. She wanted so desperately to lean forward and kiss his lips. She wanted to feel them against her own. But, she didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

If Damon wanted back in her good graces, he was going to have to work for it.

Gripping Bonnie's small hips firmly in his hands, he twisted her body around easily. He was insanely strong. Her eyes widened in shock when she felt her body twist around and she realized that her back was now facing him. He held her body in place and rocked his hips against her ass to the beat of the music. She could feel his hot breath rushing against her neck. Her arousal was intensifying.

"Damon, this is highly inappropriate." Even as she said the words, she didn't make a move to put a stop to it.

"I know." His eyes widened and he waggled his brow at her.

Bonnie felt his heated breath rush along her skin and she shivered. It felt so good. Better than it should. "I have a boyfriend."

"Don't care." Damon said. "Let him watch."

Him telling her to let her boyfriend watch just reminded her that he was an asshole. He was suggesting that she cheat on her boyfriend with him. Even if she wasn't really dating Kol, Damon thought that she was. _'How can I be so attracted to such an asshole? Why am I not pulling away? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? OH GOD!' _Bonnie blushed when she felt something hard press against her spine through the fabric of Damon's pants. She knew exactly what it was. He was aroused. _'This is taking it way too far! You have to put an end to this!'_

She pulled away from him and twisted around to look up at him. He had a knowing smirk on his lips and a glint in his eyes. He could tell that she was flustered. He could tell that she wanted him.

"That's enough, Damon!" Bonnie insisted. Finding it difficult to breathe. "Whatever this thing is between us has to stop right now!"

Damon took a step toward her and cocked his head to the side. He looked so smug that it was frustrating her. "I thought you said there was _NOTHING_ between us."

"I think it's about time that you sod off, mate!" Kol growled as he walked toward the two of them. He had actually felt jealous watching Damon and Bonnie dancing so intimately. He was angry that the man thought that she had a boyfriend, but he was still obviously making a move on her. It lacked class. It was a shitty thing to do.

He held his hands up defensively and nodded his head. "You got it buddy." He had already got the answer he was hoping for. There was _SOMETHING_ going on between the two of them. And whether Bonnie had a boyfriend or not, she still had feelings for him.

He knew it.

_**'This Broken Record, Sings My Mistakes On Repeat,**_

_**And All The Drinks In The World, Couldn't Make Me Sleep.'**_

Everyone had left the party, and Caroline had dragged Damon back to his room to get some sleep, despite his protests. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get to sleep. He was rolling around in bed uncomfortably. Thinking about Kol's hands touching Bonnie, thinking about him kissing her, thinking about him pleasing her. It was making him sick. He hated it.

Finally, he sat up in bed and threw his legs over the side. He had finished off most of the bottle and he was thoroughly intoxicated. He knew he would regret his decision in the morning, but right now, he needed to see her again.

He had so many regrets.

Damon had screwed up his chances with Bonnie just like he had screwed up his chances with every girl since her. Just the thought of his ex-girlfriend caused his muscles to tense and his chest to tighten. She was the reason he had given up on love. She had taught him that people were expendable and usable, but not lovable.

_'I need to talk to her before we get put into that arena... I can't sleep until I talk to her...'_

He dragged himself out of bed and stumbled across the room toward the door. Hitting a few things along the way and nearly tripping. But, he was determined to get to her. He pulled on the knob and opened the door and then made his way out into the hallway. There were only 24 doors in the hallway. One for each tribute. He knew that eventually he would find hers.

Damon didn't even realize that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Somewhere along the line between the party and his room he had taken it off. He was now only wearing his pink pants and shoes.

He knocked on the first door that he saw and he leant his hand against the wall to brace himself as he waited for the person to answer. Hoping that it was Bonnie.

It wasn't.

A young man answered the door with a confused look on his face. He had obviously been sleeping and he was pissed off.

"Is this Bonnie Bennett's room?" Damon slurred playfully.

"It's the middle of the night and the games start tomorrow! Leave me the hell alone!" He slammed the door in his face.

"_WELL!_" He drawled sarcastically. "That was rude!" All he could do was laugh, he was so intoxicated. Again he started to walk clumsily down the hallway toward the next door. He lifted his hand and knocked loudly on it.

_'Knock. Knock. Knock.'_

This time, the blonde woman from District 2 opened the door. Her smile fell and she looked disgusted when she saw it was Damon standing in her doorway. She didn't want anything to do with him.

"Hello there." He grinned flirtatiously.

"Screw you!" She said, slamming the door in his face.

"That was the plan!" Damon shouted through the door. He shook his head. "Sheesh!"

After knocking on six more doors and getting them slammed in his face, you'd think he would have given up. But, he hadn't. He needed to talk to Bonnie. He stood in front of the next door and he raised his hand, curling it into a fist and knocking.

_'Knock. Knock. Knock.'_

Bonnie opened the door and her green eyes widened when she saw Damon standing on the other side of the door, barely holding himself up. She was wearing shorts and a tank top that showed off her toned abdomen. But, she wasn't the only one exposed. He wasn't wearing his shirt. She tugged her full bottom lip between her teeth and she allowed her eyes to wander along his chest. She followed his happy trail down to the waistline of his pants and she blushed a little when her mind filled with the memory of his hard cock against her spine while they were dancing.

"Is this the Bennett residence?" He asked drunkenly.

"Damon?" She was confused. _'What the hell is he doing here?'_

"Thank God!" Damon stretched the words over-dramatically. "You have no idea how rude people can be when you turn up at four in the morning." He walked past her and headed directly into her room without an invitation.

"Come on in, I guess." Bonnie said as she watched him walk into her room.

He recalled what Kol had said about more happening behind closed doors and he started to look around the room for any sign of him. "Is _HE_ here?" He said the word 'he' spitefully.

"No. He's not here."

She sighed loudly and closed the door to her room when Damon fell back onto the bed and placed his arms behind his head, smiling in her direction. It was evident that he wasn't going anywhere.

"That's weird." He said, his blue eyes widening knowingly. Something wasn't right between Kol and Bonnie. They were missing a spark. They were missing what they had. "I totally thought the two of you would be "doing it" like bunny rabbits right about now."

Bonnie started to approach the bed. "We don't make love every night."

"UCK!"

"What?"

"Make. Love." He stretched the words sarcastically. "Can't you just say, have sex, like a normal person?"

She took a seat on the edge of the bed and she looked over his face. There was something hidden deep in the depths of his eyes. He had been hurt before. He had lost his faith in love. He had lost his hope to ever be in a real relationship. She was curious what had happened. "What's wrong with love?" She wondered.

"I've been in love before." Damon told her. "Once. It's painful. It's pointless. It's overrated."

"Doesn't sound like love in that case."

"It doesn't sound like love, because love doesn't exist Bon-Bon." Damon smirked up at her. "She taught me that. She taught me that there are only two types of people in this world. Those who use others and those who get used."

Bonnie wondered what had happened with his ex-girlfriend to make him feel this way. She didn't dare ask though. Damon was already opening up more than she had ever expected. She moved up onto the bed, so that she was laying next to him, with her back against the headboard. "So, why are you here now?" She asked. "Are you using me?"

"Maybe." He sang.

She glared at him when he said that.

Damon groaned loudly and moved into a sitting position, with his back against the headboard. His shoulder was now pressed against hers and she could feel the heat of his body. He was burning up. Probably due to the high percentage of alcohol in his system. "I don't know why I'm here! I just wanted to fix things between us, before we get thrown into that arena and are forced to kill each other."

He turned and caught Bonnie's stunning emerald eyes with his own. She forgot how to breathe in that moment. Their lips were so close. She could feel his breath rushing against her face.

"The only problem is." He told her. "I don't have a clue how to fix things, just break them."

Bonnie shivered when Damon lifted his hand and delicately danced his fingertips along her jawline. Everywhere he touched left behind a trail of fire. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest and she still couldn't recall how to breathe. She was lost in his eyes. Lost to the desire. He smirked and tucked one of her curls behind her ear.

"You could start by apologizing for being such a narcissistic asshole."

"I apologize for being such a narcissistic asshole." He repeated her words. "And for the fact that I will probably be a narcissistic asshole again in the future."

"It's a start." Bonnie laughed and shook her head.

Damon licked over his lips and glanced down at hers and her heart stopped. He tangled his fingers in her hair and dragged her body closer to his, their lips only an inch apart now. She wanted to give in to him. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to taste them. She wanted him so badly. But, she also didn't want to give him that satisfaction. Not yet. Plus she had a "boyfriend." _'I just want him to work for it a little longer... Is that so bad?'_

Bonnie forced herself to pull away and look down at her shaky hands. She swallowed hard and breathed out, "Damon, I can't. I have a boyfriend."

He smirked and moved closer to her, whispering against her ear, "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Being an asshole."

_**'Exposing Me For What I Am,**_

_**A Fallen King, Who Lost His Crown.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**I want to thank everyone for being so wonderful and supportive with this fic! Your words mean the world to me and I really do listen to everything you say! I know some people are really wanting Bamon to get intimate, and they will soon! But, hopefully this will help hold y'all over! :)) Usually my Bamon centered chapters haven't gotten very many reviews or much feedback... And I worked really hard on this chapter... So I hope that y'all like it and I want to know what y'all think about it! I want to know if y'all like the Bamon chapters! If y'all like the way that I am writing them! If you are excited for what is to come! What y'all wanna see with them!**

**How did you feel about this chapter? Did you like jealous Damon? Enjoying the Kennett? Do you trust Kol? Did you enjoy the scene in bed when he opened up to her? Did you like the almost kiss and the dance!? Lots of Bamon this chapter! **

**Really hope y'all liked it! Thank you so much for reading! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	10. End To The Facade

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Ten**

**End To The Facade **

**_'I Won't Let You Down, Sleep Softly, Safe And Sound,_**

**_Just Close Your Eyes, And Sleep Tonight.'_**

Satin sheets felt soft against his skin as he snuggled deeper into their warmth. His strong arms were wrapped around a small feminine body, pulling her closer to him. Her fingers interlaced with his, holding his hand securely against her chest.

Damon had no recollection of the previous night. He had no idea where he was or who he had slept with. Which wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him. His head was still fuzzy and he could still feel the alcohol in his system. He had consumed so much that he was still intoxicated. Normally, he didn't snuggle with women after he had sex with them. He either left right after, or waited for them to fall asleep before escaping.

_'But, this is kinda nice... She's so warm... and soft.' _He nuzzled even closer to her, his nose dipping into her curls. Her scent surrounded him. It was an intoxicating mix of vanilla and roses.

He recognized the scent.

_'Bonnie...?'_

Damon didn't know how he wound up in Bonnie's room the previous night. He could recall flirting with a bartender and a blonde girl from District 2. He had expected to be sleeping with one of them, not laying in bed with the woman who had turned him down. The woman who had a boyfriend. The woman who said there was _NOTHING_ between them.

Despite his confusion, he pulled Bonnie's body even closer to him.

She felt so small and fragile in his arms. He just wanted to keep her safe from the world outside. From the arena. From her impending doom. He wanted to protect her, and he couldn't comprehend why. His plan had always been to sleep with her and then use that to his advantage in the arena. His plan had always been to kill her. He clenched his jaw at the thought and his stomach twisted into knots. _'You can't protect her forever Damon... Everyone has to die. Only one person can live...'_

He swallowed hard and pushed the thoughts away as he buried his nose further into her curls. He delicately traced his thumb along the back of her hand. Her skin was so soft, but he could feel the calluses as well, from hours and hours of hard work.

"Mm." Bonnie hummed softly as she stirred from her sleep. She could feel a comforting warmth enveloping her body and someone gently stroking her hand. It felt so nice. She couldn't remember the last time that she just laid in bed, wrapped up in someone's arms. Suddenly, memories of the previous night rushed through her head and her green eyes snapped open.

She wasn't laying in bed with just anyone. She was laying in bed with Damon Salvatore.

_'What am I doing? Why am I snuggling with him? Why does it feel so good?' _

She was conflicted.

On one hand, she knew that she should probably pull away from Damon and put some distance between the two of them. _'On the other hand, his body feels so warm and I'm still really sleepy...' _She ignored the voice nagging at her and she snuggled even closer to him. _'Just a few more minutes...'_

Bonnie smiled gently as she watched him stroke the back of her hand with his thumb. His touch was so delicate, so loving. Last night she had witnessed a different side of Damon. A side of him that she hadn't known existed. A vulnerable and broken side. A side of him that had been in love once, and now hated the idea of it. It told her that he was capable of loving. He was capable of giving his all to a relationship.

Before they could even think about the possibility of having a relationship, she had to be ready to give her all to him. She had to put an end to her fake relationship with Kol and tell Damon the truth.

It was time to clear the air and start fresh.

She was dreading it.

She knew that when Damon found out she had lied about her relationship with Kol just to make him jealous, his ego would inflate. He would get some sick satisfaction knowing she went to such lengths just to get back at him. He would tease her endlessly about it. But, if she was truly considering starting a relationship with him, she would have to tell him the truth. She couldn't base a relationship on lies.

Damon could feel Bonnie stirring in her sleep and his lips curled up into a playful smile. He tightened his grip on her body and he leant forward, his lips hovering over her ear as he whispered hotly against it, "Morning."

Her heart jumped in her chest when she heard his voice and felt his breath against her ear. _'I could get used to waking up like this every morning...'__  
><em>

The thought was beautiful, but unrealistic. Bonnie and Damon would never have a relationship like that. Tonight, they were being thrown into the arena and by the end of the games, one of them, if not both of them, would be dead.

Bonnie smiled and rolled over in his arms so that she was facing him. His hair was wild and disheveled and his blue eyes were fixed intently on her. He had a lopsided smirk on his lips as he pulled his hand away from hers and he gently traced his fingers along her jawline and through her curls. Everywhere he touched, left behind a trail of fire and caused her heart to race.

"Morning." She breathed out sleepily.

His smirk widened as he twisted one of his fingers into a curl, stretching it, and then watching it bounce back into place.

"You seem to be in a really good mood, considering how much you drank last night." Bonnie was surprised that he wasn't groaning out and holding his head in pain. He drank more than half a bottle of whiskey. He should have a terrible hangover.

"Many nights of drowning my sorrows in alcohol have made me immune to the common hangover." Damon slurred his words. He was still feeling the effects of the alcohol in his system.

"Or you're still drunk."

"Or I'm still drunk." He laughed.

Damon ran his tongue along his lips as he glanced around the bedroom. It was definitely not his bedroom. He didn't know how it happened, but somehow he had ended up sleeping in her bed with her. "I see you finally took me up on that offer to invite me back to your room." He smirked and blue eyes landed on green as he asked, "Did we do it?" He waggled his brow suggestively.

Bonnie lifted one of her pillows and she slammed it into his face. He had successfully ruined the moment. "You wish." She stated sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Of course that was all he cared about. Damon Salvatore had a one-track mind.

She shook her head at him and sat up in bed, running her fingers through her long dark hair. She no longer felt the strong desire to lay in bed with him. Every time she felt like they were making progress and she could actually start falling for him, he would say something like that and make her doubt everything. If all he wanted was sex, he could find it elsewhere.

"More like, you showed up at my door drunk at four in the morning, talking about how you wanted to fix things between us before we headed into the arena today." Bonnie told him. "Then you tried to kiss me, and I turned you down, so you passed out on top of me."

"Ugh." Damon groaned. "That is so not what I'm telling my buddies."

Bonnie shot a glare in his direction. She had thought that they had moved past his lying to protect his ego. "You aren't telling your buddies anything. What happened last night is between us and it's going to stay that way, understood?"

"Oh come on, Bon-Bon." He smirked. "Can't I just tell 'em we smooched a little?"

"No." She insisted. "Now come on. Get up. I'm taking you back to your room to get some more rest. You're gonna need all the rest you can get before the games tonight and you aren't staying in here."

"But, Bonnie!" Damon whined over-dramatically. He didn't want to leave her room. "I don't wanna go! I like your bed better." He smirked up at her and pulled the pillow close to him, snuggling against it. "It's so soft, and comfy."

"Damon." Bonnie stated stubbornly, staring down at him. He was like a child. Every time he wanted something he would whine until he got it. She assumed it was because he was spoiled growing up. Right now he looked so smug, snuggling his cheek against her pillow and smiling up at her. His blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Come on, get out of my bed." She said, reaching across the bed to grab onto his wrist, attempting to pull him out of the bed.

He didn't even budge. He was stronger than her.

"I have a better idea." Damon said with a devious smirk on his lips. "How about you get back in bed with me instead?" He gripped Bonnie's small wrist firmly, but not hard enough to hurt her, and then he easily tugged her body back into bed with him.

Bonnie continued to verbally protest, but the minute she was wrapped up in the warmth of his body again, she melted. She loved the way that his body fit perfectly against hers, like a puzzle-piece. She loved the way that his strong arms held onto her protectively. It made her feel safe. It made her feel happy. A heated blush rushed along her caramel skin as Damon rested his chin against her shoulder and whispered against her ear, "A little snuggling never hurt anyone."

"I kind of figured you wouldn't be the snuggling type of guy." She said with a smile.

"I'm not." Damon admitted. He didn't know why he wanted to snuggle with her so badly. He couldn't understand it. He just wanted to take advantage of every second he had with Bonnie before they were thrown into the arena.

_'If he's not the snuggling type then why does he want to snuggle with me so badly? Why didn't he just go and sleep with that blonde last night?'_

**_'I Must Confess, I'm Not Impressed,_**

**_With Everything I've Done.'_**

"I get that you are conflicted about this whole Damon-Kol thing." Marcel said with a smile. "But, the games are starting in less than ten hours and I think they need to be our main concern." He was worried that his friend was letting the romance aspect get to her head and she was forgetting about how dangerous the games were. "After all, it won't matter who you have feelings for if you're dead."

He wrapped his arm around her small shoulders and he pulled her body closer to his. He was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe in the arena, but he couldn't protect her from her heart. These boys could be playing with her for all he knew. They could be using her feelings against her.

Marcel didn't trust anyone.

Bonnie sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. She knew that he was right. She needed to focus on preparing for the games and staying alive. She needed to get her mind off of both boys and focus on herself. But, she couldn't stop thinking about the situation she had gotten herself into. She felt like she needed to clean up the mess she had made before getting into the arena. Once inside, she would lose all of her privacy. All of Panem would be watching her every move.

That was intimidating.

"I know." She said. "You're right. I just really feel like I need to tell Kol we are ending this facade of ours before we get into that arena." Bonnie groaned out and shook her head against his chest. "I should have never agreed to do this in the first place."

Bonnie Bennett was responsible.

She wasn't reckless.

She didn't do things just to get back at people and make them jealous.

Now, she was feeling guilty about lying. And she was getting a little worried about hurting Kol in the midst of everything. He had looked like he had feelings for her the other night. He had looked genuinely jealous.

"Eh, don't be too hard on yourself." Marcel gave her shoulders a squeeze and he smiled down at her. "Damon deserved a little taste of his own medicine for being such an asshole in that interview. Plus, who knows, maybe you knocked some sense into the fella. I think this whole fake relationship thing might have helped him realize he actually has feelings for you, he doesn't just wanna screw you."

It was a nice thought.

Damon's attitude had changed drastically since finding out she was in a "relationship" with Kol.

"Maybe."

Bonnie tugged her full bottom lip between her teeth and she chewed on it, her brow furrowed in thought. "I just hope Kol won't take it too hard when I tell him... He seemed kind of jealous the other night."

"He was just playing the part of your boyfriend." Marcel assured.

"I hope so."

"Looks like now's your chance to find out." He nodded in the direction of Kol who was walking toward them with a wide grin on his lips. He had no doubt in his mind that Kol wasn't falling for Bonnie. He had watched him leave with the blonde Damon rejected, later that night.

"Hello there, love." The British man sang as he approached her. "What is this I am hearing about you spending the night with Damon in your room?" He smirked deviously. "I suppose this means we are through?" He teased.

Her green eyes widened when she heard him mention her spending the night with Damon. She had a strong feeling that she knew exactly who was spreading around that rumor. "Where did you hear that?" Kol and Marcel both gave her a look that said, _'You know EXACTLY where he heard it.' _Bonnie sighed and rolled her eyes, "He said he wasn't going to say anything to anyone."

"And you believed him?" Kol wondered with a raise of his brows.

She thought about it and then laughed. "No."

Bonnie knew that Damon was going to tell everyone about their night together. He was probably bragging to his friends the minute he left her bedroom.

"I'm just going to leave you two love-birds alone to talk." Marcel said with a wide grin as he pulled his arm away from Bonnie's shoulders and he twisted on his heels, walking backwards away from his friend. "Remember, Elijah wants to have a talk with us before we leave for the arena tonight."

"I'll be there."

Marcel turned and started to walk away. He knew that they needed to talk in private about their little arrangement.

"So." Kol stretched, wrapping his arm around Bonnie's shoulders as they walked through the training center. "Did you think of your boyfriend at all while you were shagging that prick all night long?" The smirk on his lips deceived his word and told her that he wasn't actually upset with her. She was relieved.

"It's not like that." She said. "Nothing happened."

"You don't have to explain to me, sweetheart." He looked down at her with a devilish glint in his dark eyes. "I was quite preoccupied with that hot blonde from District 2 that Damon rejected."

Bonnie laughed when she heard that he had slept with the blonde from District 2. She was beyond relieved to hear that he wasn't developing feelings for her. "I think it's time to break up." Her full lips twisted up into a smile and she caught his eyes with her own. "This isn't a very healthy relationship."

"Agreed." He nodded his head.

"So." Kol twisted around her and smirked down at her. Their faces only a few inches apart. "How do you want to go about breaking up, dear? Do you want a quiet, clean, break, or are you up for a scandal?" He waggled his brow at her and bit down on his bottom lip. He was always ready to start a scandal. The Capitol would go wild when they found out they broke up so soon after announcing their relationship. They could play with people's emotions. They could have some fun.

"I think we've already caused enough of a scandal." She said.

"Bonnie Bennett, you are such a stick in the mud."

Bonnie glared at him and he laughed and raised his hands defensively.

"I am not." She said. "I just think that the Capitol is already going to turn this into a scandal and we need to keep our breakup as quiet as possible. Let's just tell people that things weren't working out between us. That we were having problems and we decided to break up, but we are still planning on remaining good friends."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Kol returned to her side and he nudged her playfully. "I take it, this means that things between you and Damon are finally heading in the right direction?"

"It's kind of hard to tell with Damon, but I think they are." Bonnie said with hope in her voice.

He was happy for her. He knew how much she liked the District 1 tribute, he could tell the day he met Bonnie while waiting for the private sessions. And, even if he didn't quite understand the attraction, he supported her and wanted the best for her. Still, he was hesitant about their budding relationship. He didn't trust Damon. He didn't trust anyone from District 1. Their district was known for emotionally manipulating people in order to take them down in the arena. _'At least Marcel and I will be around if he tries anything...'_

"Make sure you tell him, if he breaks your heart or uses this for an advantage in the arena, I will not hesitate to kill him." Kol said. His tone was deadly serious.

"Do you think he'd really go through all of this just for an advantage in the arena?" Bonnie asked with worry shimmering in her emerald eyes. The thought had been nagging at her for days. Ever since the first day Damon made a move on her, she had thought that it could all just be a ploy to help him win the games. She didn't want to believe that he was capable of such a horrible thing. Playing with her feelings in order to kill her. But, she didn't know what he was capable of. He could have been lying all this time.

"Let's just say, I wouldn't put it past a District 1 tribute."

_**'I Was Born, I Have Lived, I Will Surely Die,**_

_**Facing Defeat, I Am Still Holding My Head Up High.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you everyone sooo much for reading this fic and leaving me so much feedback! It means everything to me! :)) It really does! I love y'all so much! I'm really anxious about this chapter because I have been really sick the last few days and I haven't been able to focus very well. I know that this chapter is one of the shortest of the fic, but it is very important for what happens in the arena! The next chapter is going to be very long and very intense! Let the games begin! :)) **

**Anyhow, thoughts on this chapter? How do you feel about where Bamon is at right now? Did you like their morning after scene? Are you looking forward to seeing them in the games? Worried about deaths? (I promise to keep all the characters you love alive for as long as I can). Excited that Bonnie and Kol called it quits on their fake relationship?**

**Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	11. Come On Little Soldier

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Eleven**

**Come On Little Soldier **

**_'Come On Little Soldier, What Did You Expect?_**

**_Remember What They Told You? You Were Destined For This.'_**

_'Thirty minutes until we enter the arena...' _She thought to herself, her green eyes landing on the platform that would lift her into the arena. Her heart was hammering violently in her chest as the seconds passed. In that moment, she wished that she could stop time. She wished that she could have just a few more days of freedom. Just a few more hours, even. She wasn't ready to put her life on the line for the entertainment of the Capitol.

Elijah was standing in front of Marcel and herself with a sad smile on his lips and understanding eyes. Years ago he had been in their very shoes, and he felt sorry for them. He clenched his jaw tightly and took a step toward them, "Alright, listen very carefully you two." He said.

Bonnie dragged her eyes away from the platform and she focused on her mentor as he spoke. Paying close attention to his advice.

"When the two of you get into the arena, the Gamemakers will count down from sixty and you will have the choice to run toward the Cornucopia which will be filled with weapons and other supplies, or to flee." The proper British man stared into their eyes. "My advice for you is to keep your distance from the Cornucopia and to flee. Some may see this as cowardice, but the Cornucopia is notorious for being a bloodbath. Last year eleven of the twenty-four tributes died at the start of the game, attempting to retrieve weapons and supplies."

Marcel furrowed his brow in confusion. "But, how exactly are we s'posed to win the games if we don't have any weapons?"

"There are other ways to obtain weapons." Elijah reminded. "Far safer ways."

Despite his words of advice, he saw the hesitation and worry etched into the lines of their faces. "If you feel that you must approach the Cornucopia, do so with caution and stick to the outskirts."

They both nodded their heads at this.

"And please do remember to always stay together." Elijah warned. He couldn't stress the importance of teamwork in the games enough to them. It was all about alliances. If either of them were left to their own devices out in the arena, they would die.

Again, they nodded.

He turned and caught Bonnie's eyes with his own. "Also, if you truly feel that you can trust this Kol character, stay close to him as well."

Marcel licked over his lips and looked between his friend and their mentor. He didn't voice his opinions, but the truth was, he didn't know if they could trust Kol. He wanted to be able to trust him, but he knew that people from District 6 were unreliable and rebellious. They did what was in their best interest and rarely thought about how it would affect others.

_'I just hope we can trust him... We could use all the help we can get.'_

All three of them were startled out of their conversation when they heard a robotic voice echo over the intercom. _"Fifteen minutes to send off. All tributes must move to their platforms at this time."_

Bonnie felt her heart jump into her throat and her anxiety weighing on her chest, suffocating her. She couldn't believe that fifteen minutes had passed so quickly. Now, they only had fifteen minutes left before the games started. In fifteen minutes she could die, Marcel or Kol could die, Damon could die. The thought caused her stomach to twist violently and the urge to vomit to arise.

She was terrified.

She didn't want to have to watch anyone else that she cared about die. She didn't want to die.

It was evident to Marcel that Bonnie was extremely nervous about entering the arena. He knew that he couldn't do anything to take away that fear and anxiety. He couldn't do anything to save either of them from the pain they were about to endure. All he could do was reach out and interlace his fingers with hers, giving her hand a comforting and loving squeeze.

Leaning down he spoke softly against her ear, "You don't have anything to worry about." He smiled gently. "I promise. I'm going to keep you safe."

"We're going to keep each other safe." Bonnie countered with a twist of her full lips and a squeeze of his hand. She wanted him to know that she was willing to die for him as well. They were in this together. No matter what happened.

The sight warmed Elijah's heart. He knew that Marcel and Bonnie genuinely cared for each other. They were good friends. They weren't just in an alliance until the time came that they had to kill each other off. Their compassion and loyalty was something rarely seen in the games.

"I have the utmost confidence in both of your abilities." He surprised himself with the words. When he was told that he would be mentoring two tributes from District 11, he had felt insulted. He had felt like the Capitol had no faith in him as a mentor. He had felt like they were doomed. But, now that he had witnessed the way that they worked together, and their individual skill, he had faith in them. He believed that they were capable of winning the entire thing. "And I will be cheering you on from the sidelines."

His words meant everything to Bonnie and Marcel. He was a District 1 tribute. He was Elijah-Massacre-Mikaelson. And, he had faith in them.

"And who knows." Elijah smirked over at them as he took a few steps toward their platforms. "You may even get a gift or two from me."

Bonnie swallowed hard as her eyes landed on the platform. In a few minutes she would step onto the platform and it would rise, carrying her up into the arena. Her hands were shaking, her palms were sweaty, and her heart felt like it was going to burst through her rib cage. _'I still can't believe this is actually happening... I can't believe they called my name... What were the odds?'_

She could recall her mother's words that morning before the reaping. _"It's the same odds as them pulling Rue's name. I'm going to lose you too. I just know it."_

_'I have to win... She can't lose me too. If she loses me, she'll never recover.'_

Elijah wrapped the petite woman in a tight, protective embrace. He desperately wished that he could change the world that they lived in. That he could make it so that Bonnie and Marcel didn't have to fight in the arena. That he could make the games obsolete. _'Maybe one day we will all live in peace...' _It was a beautiful thought. It was a beautiful lie. Peace, in any culture, did not exist.

"Good luck." He breathed out against her ear.

She had tears shimmering in her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. She pushed them back and forced a confident smile onto her face. She was always pushing her emotions away and hiding them. That was how she had always been. Every time things got hard back home, she had to be strong for her family. When they were starving, she couldn't complain, she had to be positive. When Rue had died, she couldn't even cry, because she had to be there to comfort her mother and her sisters and brothers.

She always had to be strong for everyone else.

"Thanks." Bonnie said.

Next, their mentor moved to Marcel and he wrapped him up in a tight hug, wishing him the best of luck in the games.

The robotic voice echoed through the chamber beneath the arena again, _"Five minutes to send off. All tributes must be on their platforms at this time."_

Marcel and Bonnie held onto each other's hands as they walked toward the platforms. They knew that they had to let go of each other. They had to part ways. But, they didn't want to. He turned and looked down at her, "You're gonna be okay." He said. She glanced up at him and smiled shakily. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't.

How could anything ever be okay again?

"It's time for the two of you to be on your separate platforms." A Peacekeeper said, aiming his gun at them. He was instructed to use force if he had to. On occasion, the tributes would try and fight back against the Capitol and escape the games. It was their job to keep everyone in line. "Come on, hurry up." He reached out and grabbed a hold of Bonnie's wrist, dragging her violently away from Marcel.

She hissed as she felt the pain in her wrist and she watched Marcel get dragged away by another Peacekeeper.

The man with the gun pushed her forcefully onto her platform, not caring if she got hurt.

"Keep still." The Peacekeeper stated sternly, aiming his gun at her and preparing to shoot if she rebelled.

Bonnie did as she was told. Her muscles tense and her jaw tight as she stared up at the hole in the ceiling above her. She could see the sunlight pouring down into the chamber. She could smell the scent of trees, flowers, and fresh air. Soon she would be immersed in the controlled atmosphere of the arena. She would be a puppet controlled by the Gamemakers, and people would watch with awe filled eyes, hoping to see her die. It was disgusting. It was inhuman.

_'Or maybe it is a very human thing to do...' _That thought horrified her. Why did humans find such sick pleasure in watching others suffer? She didn't understand it. She didn't want to understand it.

Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears.

She couldn't breathe.

Emerald eyes were fixated on the swirling clouds above. She watched them move along the fabricated sky and she wondered for a moment if Rue was looking down at her. If she was watching over her. If she was protecting her. Bonnie liked to believe that her sister was always there with her in spirit.

The platform started to shake beneath her feet and panic rushed over her. She was slowly rising toward the surface.

It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the sunlight when she broke through the surface of the arena. Goosebumps covered the skin of her arms, and a few dark curls came loose from her ponytail as the brisk breeze danced along her face. It was a lot colder than she had expected.

Bonnie's body jolted as the platform came to a halt at the ground level.

_"Fifty." "Forty-Nine." "Forty-Eight."_

She could barely hear the robotic voice counting down the seconds over the loud sound of her heart pounding in her ears. Approximately forty feet in front of them was a large structure called the Cornucopia. Inside were the most valued weapons and supplies. Elijah's words were swimming in the back of her mind and she focused instead, on what she could take from the outskirts. She spotted a single knife sitting on one of the weapon racks. It wasn't the ideal knife for throwing, but it would have to do.

Along with the knife there were a few bags scattered in the grass surrounding the weapon rack.

Taking in a shaky breath, she let it out and calculated the best route to get the knife and both bags as quickly as possible. Bonnie knew from the gauntlet that she was one of the most agile players in the games this year, if not the most, and she had faith in her abilities. She could easily reach the knife before any of the other tributes. The question was, could she get away from the Cornucopia before getting killed?

_'What is Marcel going to do...? I really hope he doesn't do anything too risky...' _

She cast her eyes over to her partner to see what he was thinking.

Marcel was crouched over and preparing to run. His dark eyes filled with determination and focused on the sickle that was even closer to the Cornucopia than the knife. He looked like he was going to go for it.

_"Thirty." "Twenty-Nine." "Twenty-Eight." "Twenty-Seven."_

Bonnie could feel eyes burning into the back of her head and she turned to see who was staring at her.

It was Damon. He was standing on his platform clear across from her, his hair twisting in the wind, and a smile on his lips. She could have sworn that she saw concern and worry shimmering in his blue eyes. But, just as soon as she saw it, it faded and his lips curled up into a devious, confident smirk.

_"Fifteen." "Fourteen." "Thirteen."_

As the seconds counted down to the start of the games, she refocused her eyes on the knife and bags that she wanted. She still didn't know if running for them was the best option. Elijah had been adamant when he said to flee the Cornucopia and he had mentioned sending them gifts. So, maybe it would be better if she just fled for the trees and stayed hidden until she received whatever he planned on sending her.

_'But, I know I can do it... It's only like fifteen feet away...'_

She crouched down on the platform and prepared to launch herself across the grass as soon as the alarm sounded. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and her heart was beating out of her chest. She had made a decision. Now all she could do was go for it and pray that she survived.

_"Four." "Three." Two." "One."_

When the clock reached one, the alarm blared noisily.

Bonnie dug the toes of her shoes into the grass and curled her fingers in the dirt, launching herself five feet into the air, and giving herself a head start. Her eyes were locked onto the knife and the bags and she was ignoring all of the people behind her. As long as they were behind her, that was all that mattered. Reaching down, she swiftly grabbed one of the bags and flung it over her shoulder. Then she moved toward the knife, gripping it firmly in her hand.

She knew that she should stop there and escape, but the other bag was right in front of her. Hastily she rolled across the grass and grabbed onto the bag, throwing it over her shoulder.

She twirled around on her heels in the direction of the trees, but someone was standing in front of her. The young woman jumped on top of her and held a knife to her throat. Bonnie strategically pushed her arm between their bodies, pushing the woman away from her so that she couldn't slice her throat and kill her. Her green eyes were wide and filled with terror as the girl pushed harder and the knife dug deeper into the skin of her throat.

_'Oh god... She's so strong... I can't fight much longer...' _Bonnie was pushing with all of her might, but the knife kept sinking deeper into her skin.

Suddenly, the woman stopped her movements and her face was covered in agony. Her blood was pouring down from her lips and dripping onto Bonnie's chest. Her skin went pale and she started to cough. She was dying on top of her. Standing over them was Kol with a playful grin on his lips and a twinkle of mischief in his eyes as he pulled the sword out of the girl's back. Bonnie felt the weight of her dead body as it went limp on top of her and she scrunched up her face in disgust, pushing her off of her.

Kol held out a hand to her and Bonnie took it, allowing him to help pull her to her feet.

She offered him a grateful smile and then she started to run toward the trees. The British man wasn't done searching through the weapons though. Wielding his sword skillfully, he headed deeper into the Cornucopia.

Bonnie placed the knife between her teeth and bit down on it as she dashed toward one of the tall trees. She jumped toward the trunk and easily ran up the side of it, flipping herself onto the high branch and pulling her body up into the safety of the tree. The first branch was already eleven feet in the air, but she didn't feel safe enough. She pounced from one branch to the next until she was near the top of the tree. She had to be at least seventy feet up. There was no way that anyone was going to reach her.

Down below, Marcel had managed to retrieve the sickle and a few bags of supplies.

He clenched his jaw tightly and glanced around for his partner. In every direction, people were falling to their deaths, and Bonnie was nowhere in sight. He couldn't find her. _'Where the hell did she go!?'_

Kol ran toward the District 11 tribute with a wide toothy grin on his face. He was holding a sword, he had a spear on his back, a few knives, and a couple bags of supplies. "What are you doing just standing around, mate?" He asked. "Come on, we have to go."

"I can't find Bonnie." Marcel said.

A few of the other tributes were heading in their direction. Their eyes filled with malice and weapons in their hands. If they didn't get out of there right now, they were both going to die. "I saw her escape into the trees." The British man said. "She made it away safely and we will find her, but we have to get out of here before we are both slaughtered."

Marcel knew he was right, but he didn't like it.

He had promised to stay with Bonnie through the games. He had promised to keep her safe. He couldn't do that if they were separated.

Kol started to head toward the trees as fast as his legs would carry him. He noticed that the other young man wasn't following him and he turned to shout at him, "Hurry up, mate! They're right behind you!"

_'I will find you...' _He thought, running in Kol's direction.

_**'Come On Boy, She's Bleeding Now.**_

_**What Are You Waiting For?'**_

Damon twirled his sword in his hand and fell back onto one of the trunks of supplies in the Cornucopia. He had a confident smirk on his lips and honestly, he felt like he was on top of the world. All of the other tributes had cleared out or been killed off and now everything belonged to him and his allies. They had the structure for shelter against the storms, they had all of the remaining weapons and supplies. Including blankets, food, and water.

They were living in paradise.

While all of the other tributes would be hunting for their food, hiding from the storms, and freezing at night, they would be warm, fully fed, and hydrated.

_'I just wish Bon-Bon was here with us...' _He thought, staring out into the forest. He had watched her run for the trees and he hoped that she had retrieved enough supplies to keep her safe over night. The night would be cold and dangerous. The Gamemakers were cruel and they loved to throw new challenges and twists into the games constantly.

His ears twitched as he heard another cannon sound.

Signalling another tribute dead.

_'Please just let her be safe...' _Damon couldn't really comprehend the anxiety he was feeling. Going into the games he had always told himself that he would never get attached to any of the other tributes. His father had drilled that into him. Telling him that he was to make allies, not friends. Because, in the end he would be forced to kill them. Yet, here he was worrying about the safety and dreading the death of a District 11 tribute.

_'She isn't just a District 11 tribute... She's Bonnie...'_

Enzo's lips curled up devilishly as he plopped down on the edge of the Cornucopia. His ax was propped up between his legs. The sound of cannons, was music to his ears. The more people who killed each other off, the less people they would ultimately have to kill. "We should be safe here for a while." The British man said. "Let's let the weaker players duel it out for a bit, then we can head out and kill off the stragglers."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Caroline said with a wide toothy grin. She had her bow equipped and her quiver on her back. Her blonde curls were pulled back into a ponytail and she looked extremely confident.

She moved to sit down next to Enzo and she asked, "What do we got to eat? I'm starving!"

"Well." He stretched in his deep voice. "Let's just take a look, shall we?" With that, he lifted one of the bags and he started to sift through it. Inside he found a few loafs of bread. "Looks like we've got some bread to start with." He handed her a loaf and she took a bite out of it.

"Mm... It's delicious."

Damon didn't hear a word that his allies were saying. His blue eyes were focused on the forest and his brow was furrowed as he heard another cannon sound loudly. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so anxious. Bonnie was out in the trees all by herself, and he wanted to go out there and find her. He wanted to make sure she was safe.

"That's six." He said, looking over to Enzo and Caroline. "Six people are dead already."

"Six less tributes _WE_ have to kill." Enzo said with a wide grin. "That's great news! Come on mate, let's celebrate." He tossed Damon one of the loafs of bread, urging him to enjoy the moment. He looked so somber, when he should be jumping for joy like him and Caroline. They could pretty much relax for a few days while everyone else killed each other off.

Damon chewed on his bottom lip and knit his brows together as he stared down at the loaf of bread. His stomach was rumbling, but he couldn't bring himself to eat it.

He felt sick.

_'What the heck is going on with me lately?'_

"Damon, behind you!" Caroline shouted. Dropping the bread she stood to her feet and readied her bow.

Damon twisted around and noticed that the District 2 tribute he rejected was standing behind him, wielding a sickle. She had vengeance swimming in her eyes. This was personal to her. She wanted to kill him in particular. The blonde lunged toward him. _'I can't believe I still don't know her name...' _He thought as he easily darted out of the way of her attack and then jumped on her back bringing her to the ground. He held her down with the weight of his body, his elbow digging into the back of her neck.

"A little help?" He asked.

Enzo was still just sitting and nibbling on his loaf of bread.

"You look like you got it." He said playfully. He knew that Damon was fully capable of killing the woman.

He groaned out in annoyance and pulled back just far enough to pierce his sword through her back. He aimed for her heart, just like he had practiced on the dummies. Only this time it was different. He had just killed for the first time. He watched her body convulse and blood bubble at her lips and he scrunched up his face in disgust. Within eight seconds she was dead. Her skin cold to the touch.

Damon's head snapped to the sky as he heard the cannon sound.

This time it was someone he had killed.

_'Seven... Seven dead already...'_

He pushed himself to his feet and he let out a sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow and staring down at her dead corpse.

"I think this bloody bitch had a personal vendetta against you." Enzo said, finally standing to his feet and staring down at the blonde. He smirked, "Well, I s'pose that's one way to get rid of an ex." He laughed and started to push her body out of the Cornucopia.

_**'We Are All Architects Of Our Own Private Hell,**_

_**No One Can Hurt Us, Like We Hurt Ourselves.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**I want to thank you all so much for reading this chapter and this fic and all of your wonderful reviews! They mean everything to me! I know I say that a lot, but they really do! I love hearing from y'all and y'all keep me motivated to keep writing! I am so sorry that this update took so long! I had a really long, emotional, and sick week. It was really a horrible week. :(( BUT I am back and feeling better, and I plan to start updating every day again! :)) So, thoughts on this chapter!? I know that there wasn't much Bamon, but I promise there will be lots of bonding for them in the arena (including some smut ;) So just bear with me! **

**How do you feel about what is happening? Marcel and Kol being separated from Bonnie? The send off? Do you think that Bonnie will be safe? Who all would y'all like to see in the games!? (I plan to add a few more important characters when they reach the halfway point and introduce the next 24 tributes). Thoughts on what Damon is feeling? Enzo and Caroline? I'd just love to hear from you! I'm always open to suggestions!**

**Thank you all so much for reading! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	12. Brother In Arms

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Twelve**

**Brother In Arms**

**_'All Hands On Deck, We Live Or We Die,_**

**_Together, Together.'_**

With each second that passed, the temperature seemed to drop drastically. She was starting to fear that she wouldn't survive the night. Her frostbitten fingers were curled protectively around the grip of the knife, holding it tightly against her chest. She was rubbing her free hand against her exposed legs in an attempt to create friction and heat. It wasn't working. Her skin had gone numb hours ago.

Bonnie leant her head back against the tree trunk and she stared up at the fabricated stars that painted the sky. Even if they weren't real, they were beautiful. Far prettier than back home.

She could see her breath in the air.

_'I'm going to freeze to death if I stay up here...' _

The first thing she had done once she reached the safety of the tree was search through the bags she had obtained. Inside were many valuable supplies for survival, including food, a flask of water, and some medical bandages. But, there had been no blankets. Bonnie had been contemplating moving to the ground and starting a fire, or building a shelter to protect her from the bitter cold winds. She knew it was the only way she could possibly survive the night.

But, the ground brought with it other dangers.

She had been watching tributes tread the grounds below. Some in groups and some on their own. Hoping to see Marcel and Kol so that she wouldn't have to be alone. _'Or maybe even Damon...' _So far, only strangers had passed by. And they all looked prepared to kill.

Bonnie tried her hardest to just focus on the stars. She thought that if she could just distract herself with their beauty, she would forget about how cold it was. Her body was trembling as she started to count each star like sheep. Hoping it would help put her to sleep.

_'One. Two. Three. Four. Wait? What is that!?' __  
><em>

She sat up abruptly on the edge of the tree branch, green eyes wide with terror as she stared across the arena. There was a blue fog floating through the air and rising up into the trees. It was only about twenty feet from where she was hiding and it was moving toward her. The fog reminded Bonnie of her days out in the fields, after the rain had fallen, early in the morning. She and Rue used to run around and play hide and seek in it.

This fog wasn't a natural occurrence, though. This fog was created by the Gamemakers who were watching over them.

She didn't know what would happen if it touched her, but she knew it would be painful. It could even kill her. The Gamemakers were trying to force her out of the trees. They wanted her down on the ground with the other tributes. They wanted her to die.

Bonnie had no choice.

In a panic, she reached for her bags and flung them over her shoulder and then she placed her knife between her teeth. Gripping firmly onto the tree branch, she flung herself from one tree to the next in an attempt to out race the cerulean fog. Her body was so cold that she was finding it difficult to bend her joints. She was scared to death that she was going to miss a branch and fall to the ground below and be crushed.

_'I need to find some place to hide from the fog...' _

She scanned the scenery below as she jumped from tree to tree, in search of a cave or somewhere she could possibly hide until the fog passed overhead. Her heart was racing in her chest. She was too afraid to look back.

Finally, she spotted a small hole in the ground beneath a log.

It looked like it went down pretty deep.

Bonnie started to swing from the branches as fast as she could, dropping down to the ground level. Her skin was tearing from her fingertips, but she didn't care. The fog was getting closer and closer by the minute. Landing on the ground, she rolled across the mud and she dove into the hole in the ground.

As suspected, it went deep.

She crawled down as far as possible and then she turned around to look up through the opening. Her chest was heaving as she breathed heavily and there was dirt beneath her fingernails. Her fingerprints had been scraped off by the tree bark and they were bleeding. Mud was smeared across her face and matted in her hair. But, for now, she was safe from the fog. She pulled the knife out from between her teeth and she gripped it securely in her hand.

Her face scrunched up in pain and she physically flinched when she heard the sounds of a young man screaming out in pain.

She didn't recognize his voice.

She was conflicted.

Bonnie Bennett was a caring individual. It was in her nature to want to save everyone. Ultimately, if she had her way, she wouldn't want to see anyone die in the games. But, that wasn't possible. People had to die and it would be in her best interest to let the young man die in the fog. She bit down on her bottom lip and tried to ignore his cries of agony.

"Please!" He screamed. "Somebody help me!"

_'If you save him, he will kill you. If you save him, he will kill you.' _She kept repeating the words over and over in her head.

"Aaah!" The man cried again.

Her grams' words kept ringing in her head. When Bonnie was younger, before her grams had passed away from starvation, she had always given her the best advice. Right now, she could recall when she said, _"You get what you give, child." _

_'I can't just let him die out there.' _She concluded, clawing her way out of the hole. She peaked out far enough for the young man to see her and she waved at him, "Over here!"

He turned to look at her and that was when she recognized him. It was Tyler, the District 2 tribute who scored a 10 in the private sessions. He was running from the fog, but it was right on his trail. She could see the large blisters and scabs covering his right arm and traveling up along his neck. Yellow pus was oozing out of the sores.

Tyler hesitated when he saw her. He didn't know if it would be safer to stay out in the fog or to join the girl beneath the ground.

"Come on! Hurry up!" Bonnie called out to him frantically. The fog was nearing them both and she couldn't stay out much longer. "You'll be safe in here!"

Now it was up to him. If he wanted to join her, he could.

She hurried back into the hole and she wielded the knife defensively as she waited to see if he would join her below. She wanted to be ready to kill him if she had to. But, honestly, she hoped that it wouldn't come to that. She hoped that he would return her kindness with kindness.

Tyler turned back to look at the fog in order to gauge whether or not he could outrun it. The blue smokey substance was moving substantially faster than it had been before and it was gaining on him. He was already injured. He had no other choice but to trust the girl. He groaned out in pain as he stumbled toward the small hole in the ground, and then he knelt onto his hands and knees and crawled down inside.

Laying side by side, arms touching each other, they watched as the fog started to roll by them.

Both of them were breathing heavily. Their skin covered in sweat. Their hearts pounding painfully in their chests. And neither of them knew what to expect after the fog passed them by.

Once they were certain the fog had passed, Tyler started to crawl out of the hole. He was feeling claustrophobic and more than confused. His skin felt like it was on fire where the fog had touched him. It was the worst pain he had ever experienced. Bonnie followed him out of the hole, still holding her knife in front of her, prepared to attack.

They eyed each other warily.

The District 2 tribute scrunched up his face and hissed out as he pressed his fingers curiously into one of the blisters. He didn't know what the fog was, but he knew that if he had been enveloped in it he would have died. His brown eyes landed back on the beautiful young girl and he said, "You saved my life."

"I couldn't just let you die." Bonnie said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Isn't that kind of the entire point of the games?" He asked with a twist of his lips and a small laugh. He didn't understand. His father had raised him from a very young age to be a warrior. To prove his worth. If the roles were reversed he would have let her die. His laughter died in his throat as pain shot through his body and he groaned out loudly.

Placing her knife down on the ground she moved toward him. Taking the bag off of her shoulder, she opened it up and pulled out a flask of water. "Take off your shirt." She said in a nonchalant manner.

"Shouldn't you at least take me out on a date first?" He teased.

Bonnie glared over at him when he made the joke. She was already risking enough just helping him out, she didn't need the teasing. Seeing the look on her face he quickly pulled the shirt over his head, moaning out in agony when the shirt ripped a few of the sores open along his chest. Her green eyes wandered over his toned abdomen and she noticed that the sores were a lot deeper than she had expected.

She reached out and took his shirt from him, wetting it down with the water.

And then, without warning, she started to dab the sores. It stung and he hissed each time the water touched them, but they needed to be cleaned.

Tyler stared down at her with a furrowed brow and perplexed brown eyes. He didn't understand her generosity and concern. He couldn't understand it. His father had always told him that people were ruthless in the games. That if he didn't kill them, they would kill him. That they would lie and deceive him. But, if that was the case, why was she helping him?

Bonnie glanced up at him and asked, "What is it?"

"Thanks."

_**'Worlds Apart, And In Too Deep, My Brother In Arms,**_

_**Wouldn't Change A Thing.'**_

Leaning his head against the tree, he pulled the blanket up over his body and he snuggled into it's warmth. His mind had been on the same thing all day, Bonnie. She was all that he could think about. Marcel had made a promise, not only to himself and his district, but to her. He had promised to protect her. And now, she was out there all alone in the freezing cold. He felt like a failure. He felt like he had failed her.

He and Kol had spent all day and night searching for her.

Marcel had even climbed into the tallest tree they could find and looked out over the arena.

He still couldn't find her.

After hours and hours of walking through the forest, Kol had convinced him to take a small break and nap for a few hours before continuing their search. But, he couldn't sleep. He was too anxious. He just kept imaging Bonnie curled up in a ball freezing to death in the forest, or another tribute killing her the same way they had killed Rue.

Kol was sitting across from him, nibbling on one of the biscuits he had obtained. One of his bags had been filled to the top with them.

Despite his stomach being full, he was freezing. His hairs were standing up along his arms and his body was shaking uncontrollably. _'Marcel sure looks smug over there all wrapped up and cozy in his blanket. Bloody bastard.' _

"I can't believe you are just sitting there and eating in front of me." Marcel said. His eyes fixed on the biscuit and his stomach rumbling. He had exerted so much energy searching for Bonnie and his body was feeling weak. He needed to eat.

"I'm sorry, mate. Are you hungry?" The British man teased with a waggle of his brow.

He rolled his eyes and snuggled up further into the blanket. Both of them were being stubborn with their supplies. "Whatever." He said. "I hope you enjoy freezing to death tonight."

"Aw don't pout." Kol said with a twist of his lips as he finished eating half of the biscuit. "I'll let you have my scraps. Here you are, eat up!" He tossed the other half of the biscuit toward Marcel who glared at it. He didn't want to eat his scraps, but his stomach was growling.

_'I've eaten a lot less and a lot worse back home...' _He thought, reaching out and picking up the biscuit. Marcel couldn't meet the other man's dark eyes as he ate the remaining half of the biscuit. He hated the satisfied look that he had on his face. As he swallowed the last of the biscuit he refocused his eyes on Kol and his lips curled up into a playful smirk.

The District 6 tribute was rubbing his hands against his arms and blowing into them to try and generate heat.

"Since you shared with me, do you wanna come over here and snuggle?" He waggled his brow suggestively.

"I'd rather die." Kol seethed.

"Don't say I didn't offer." Marcel sang.

Suddenly, the British man sat up straight and held a finger up to his lips signalling for the other man to silence himself. He furrowed his brow in concentration and listened closely. He could have sworn he heard a twig snap. Marcel was now sitting up as well, the blanket and food forgotten. They were both listening intently to their surroundings.

Silence was all they heard.

A few minutes passed.

"Hm." Kol muttered. "I could have sworn I heard a twig snap. Must have been an animal of some sort."

_'Snap.'_

He heard another snap behind him and he hastily turned and dived out of the way of a spear coming right at him. It only barely missed. He scrambled to his feet just in time to have the District 7 tribute throw him hard against one of the trees and hold him up by his shoulders. Kol was skilled with weapons, but he wasn't the best at hand to hand combat.

The man had his strong hand wrapped around his throat, holding him in place and choking the life out of him.

His brown eyes were filled with panic as he gasped for breath. Kol clawed at the District 7 tribute's hand, trying to pry his fingers from his throat. He wondered where Marcel was. He felt like he had abandoned him. _'Where the bloody hell is he!?'_

With his other hand, he struggled to reach for the knife in his belt.

The strong man noticed that Kol was reaching for his knife and he let go of his shoulder and swiftly tore the knife from his belt. Pulling it back, he was just about to thrust the blade deep into the British man's stomach. Kol prepared himself for the impending pain, but it never came. Instead, blood was splattered all over his face and in his eyes. He could taste the metallic tang on his tongue.

Suddenly, the man's head rolled off of his shoulders and fell against Kol's chest.

His face contorted in horror and he quickly moved away from the tree and watched the man and his head fall to the ground. Marcel had decapitated him. In one fell swoop. With the sickle.

Kol knelt down and took his knife back from the corpse. "I believe that this is mine." He stated, tucking it back into his belt.

Death didn't faze him.

He had seen his fare share of death.

He stood to his feet and stared over at Marcel who was still holding out the blood-covered sickle in front of his body. The horror was evidently written all over his face. He couldn't believe what he had just done.

"Cutting it a little close there, mate." Kol said, wiping the blood from his face and spitting the blood out of his mouth.

_**'We Celebrate Our Sickness, As It Starts To Spread,**_

_**Cut My Heart Out, It's Not Over, Until You Take My Head.'**_

Blue eyes once again settled on the trees in the distance. Their branches were being thrown around violently in the wind. It was freezing out. Even for him, and he was wrapped up tight in three thick blankets. _'I hope Bonnie got a blanket... If she didn't, I don't think she will make it through the night...' _The thought caused his stomach to tangle unpleasantly.

Damon knew that he needed to get some rest. If he didn't then he would have no energy the next day and he needed his energy to survive in the arena. He needed to get out of his head. He needed to stop thinking about her.

His hair twisted wildly in the cold breeze and he licked over his lips, furrowing his brow in thought.

There was a war waging inside of his head. The logical half of his mind was telling him to stay in the safety of the Cornucopia with his allies, and to get some well-needed rest. The other half. The illogical and impulsive half, was telling him to head out into the forest and find Bonnie. He so rarely listened to the logical half of his brain. He was always making stupid decisions.

This was just another stupid decision he would regret later.

If he left now he would sever his alliance with Enzo and Caroline.

Tugging his bottom lip between his teeth he chewed on it and glanced over at his sleeping allies. _'If I leave now, I can search for a few hours and be back before they even wake up... At least I might be able to find her and give her a blanket.' _

His head snapped in the direction of the sky when he heard another cannon sound.

Someone else had died.

Damon's heart was racing erratically as his mind filled with images of Bonnie dying. _'Please don't let that be her... Please let her still be alive...' _

Pushing himself up into a standing position, he moved throughout the Cornucopia as quietly as possible. He didn't want to risk waking the others up. He packed a few blankets, some food, water, and throwing knives. Anything that Bonnie would possibly need to stay alive without him. And then he grabbed his sword and headed out into the grass. Running as fast as his legs would carry him.

He only had a few hours to find her and get back.

_'I am SO gonna regret this.' _Damon thought to himself as he headed into the forest alone.

_**'No Matter How Far We Fall Apart,**_

_**We Bleed Together.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and this fic and all of your amazing feedback! I know that this chapter isn't very long and I apologize for that, but I still hope that y'all enjoyed it! It's setting up for the next chapter which will be very important to the development of Bamon! As promised, I do plan to start updating every day again for y'all! :)) Because you guys are so wonderful and encouraging! Thank you all so much for your reviews, y'all keep me writing! **

**So, how did y'all feel about this chapter? Are you enjoying the Tyler/Bonnie moments? Do you look forward to more? What about Kol and Marcel? Are you excited for the Bamon reunion that will be happening next chapter!? I can tell you that things are going to shake up, alliances are going to change, and there will be lots of smut, drama, sadness, death etc. coming up! ****As well as new characters introduced at the halfway point!**

**Thank you all so much for reading! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook**


	13. All The Things I'll Never Be

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Thirteen**

**All The Things I'll Never Be**

**_'Boarded Up All The Doors, And I Swallowed All The Keys._**

**_I'm Still Haunted By, All The Things I'll Never Be.'_**

Tyler's face contorted in pain as he gently traced his fingers along the bandages wrapped around his arm. No matter how many times he replayed what had happened in his mind, he couldn't understand it. The young woman from District 11 had not only saved his life, she had used her water to clean his wounds, and her bandages to wrap them up. Her actions had been completely selfless.

He wanted to believe that she had some ulterior motive.

He wanted to believe that this was all some sort of plan to kill him. That would be easier for him. But, as he cast his brown eyes in her direction, he knew that it wasn't a plan.

Bonnie was curled up in his blanket, leaning back against the tree trunk with her eyes closed. She didn't have her knife in her hand. She didn't have her guards up. She was trusting Tyler with her life. What she had done for him, she had done out of the kindness of her heart. She was genuinely a good person. And that was what he couldn't comprehend. His father had always told him that people in the games were ruthless and heartless. That they couldn't be trusted.

She started to stir when she felt eyes on her back again.

He kept looking at her. It was making it impossible to get any rest. As much as Bonnie wanted to believe that he wouldn't try anything, she didn't. Lifting her head, she stared over her shoulder at him, "Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

"I'm just trying to understand why you did it." He admitted.

She knit her brows together and pulled her body up so that she was sitting right beside him, her shoulder pressed against his. "Why I did what?"

"Why you saved my life." Tyler stared down into emerald depths, searching them for answers.

"Because, it was the right thing to do." Bonnie stated in a matter-of-fact tone, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "I couldn't just let you die."

"I would have."

His blatant disregard for her life terrified her. She couldn't comprehend that mentality. Her mind had been screaming at her to be selfish and just let him die in the fog, but her conscience wouldn't allow it. She had to save him.

"I would have let you die if you were the one trapped in the fog." As the words passed his lips, they made him feel sick to his stomach.

Bonnie was bewildered by what he said. She shook her head at him and leant it back against the tree trunk, staring up at the stars above. Tyler was the same as the other tributes in Districts 1, 2, and 4. _'The same as Damon...' _"That's because you're from District 2, they have you all brainwashed or something."

Silence filled the air between them.

Tyler glanced up at the stars and thought about what she had said. He thought about his childhood and how his father had always drilled it into him that he was his only son and he needed to win the games. He thought about all of the movies his father made him watch of previous hunger games. He thought about the intense training sessions.

_'Maybe she's right... Maybe I am brainwashed.' _

"Yeah..." He breathed out. "Maybe..."

_'Wait, did he just agree with me?' _Bonnie's eyes widened in shock and she turned to look at him again. She could see the internal conflict written in the lines above his brow. He was doubting his entire existence. He was doubting everything he had been taught. Everything he had believed to be true.

Tyler chewed on his cheeks and his muscles tensed as he thought about his father. "Since I was like two years old, my dad drilled, and beat into me, that I wasn't supposed to trust _ANYONE_ in the games." Her heart broke when he said that his father had beat him. She was disgusted by it. "He always told me that I had to win it. That I was his only son and if I didn't win, I'd shame my family and my entire district."

He sighed and lifted his hands in the air as he spoke, "This is what I lived my entire life to do." Tears were shimmering in his dark eyes and threatening to fall, he held them back though. He refused to cry. "This is all we ever talked about."

Turning, he looked her in the eyes and said, "This was the only thing my father would ever talk to me about. He didn't care about my education, my job, my girlfriends. He only cared about the games." Tyler shrugged his shoulders sadly. "I guess I just wanted to make him proud of me."

"I'm sure he's proud of you."

"I'm not." He laughed.

She could see that he was fighting back the tears and she couldn't help but start to compare his situation with Damon's. She wondered if he felt the same pressure. If his father had forced him into his mindset, both verbally and physically, like Tyler's father had.

"Before I left he told me, if I don't win then I'm better off dead."

"That's horrible."

"Nah." Tyler shook his head. "That's just my dad for ya." He laughed and leant his head back against the tree, staring up at the sky. "He's kind of a dick."

Bonnie's full lips twisted up into a smile. The truth was, she couldn't even put herself in his shoes, because her family and upbringing was so different from his. Everyone in District 11 was devastated when they got called to be in the games. They didn't look at it as an honor, they looked at it as a punishment. When her little sister died, everyone in her district was so angry. They had rebelled. And it wasn't because she lost the games. They weren't angry at her. They didn't look at Rue as a disgrace. They hated the games and the Capitol.

Tyler and her were both from Panem, but they were from two entirely separate worlds.

_'Just like Damon and I...' _

"What about your mom?" She wondered curiously.

"I never knew my mom." He said, pain saturating his voice. "She died in the games the year after I was born. I have a few pictures left, but my dad got rid of most of them after she lost." Tyler choked on the words. They were difficult to say. He could remember hating his father in that moment. He could remember screaming at him only to have his father slap him hard across the face. "He said she had disgraced the family by losing and he didn't wanna see her face."

Bonnie's heart ached for him. His father had destroyed any memories Tyler could have had about his mother by putting these thoughts into his head about her being a disgrace. He had taken away that bond. "That doesn't sound like love to me..."

He laughed again when she mentioned love. "People in our district don't marry for love, Bonnie. They marry for wealth and entitlement."

"I'm sorry about your mom." She said, leaning her head back against the tree and watching the stars twinkle above. She could relate to his situation. She knew what it felt like to lose someone that you love. She had lost so many people in her life, her grams, her little sister, and her father. There was no way to fill that void in your heart where they were. "I lost my dad when I was really young too..."

"What happened?"

She ran her tongue over her lips and held back the tears. She had lost so much in her short lifetime. "He got caught stealing from the Capitol and they-" Her voice broke. Her heart was racing in her chest as she recalled that day. That day had changed her entire life. "They executed him to make an example."

The day that her father died, her mother died with him. That was the day she gave up on wanting to be alive.

Tyler was drawn out of their conversation when he heard something out in the forest. He hastily sat up and furrowed his brow. His heart pounding loudly in his ears. He had finally let his guard down and that was the one thing his father had always told him not to do. He had told him that would get him killed.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Bonnie said, dropping the blanket and reaching for her knife.

He grabbed for his spear and stood to his feet, preparing to kill whoever was sneaking up on them. His skin was burning where the fog had touched him and it was making it difficult to concentrate, but he ignored the pain and focused on listening. Suddenly, he felt a sharp jab in the back of his neck and he knew that the person was standing behind him and holding a sword to his throat.

"Step away from her."

Bonnie immediately recognized his voice. _'Damon?'_

"Wait, Damon! Don't hurt him!" She hurried toward him and she saw that he was holding his sword to Tyler's neck and he looked ready to slice his head clean off his shoulders. His brow was furrowed, his jaw clenched tight, and his eyes serious.

Damon only dug the blade deeper into the skin of the District 2 tribute's neck. He didn't trust him and he wasn't going to allow him to get close to the woman he cared about. He knew how people from his district were. They were manipulative. He himself was manipulative. _'I'm not gonna let him kill Bonnie...' _

Tyler hissed out in pain when the blade broke through his skin. It hurt a lot, especially with the sores. He was looking to Bonnie to save him. His brown eyes filled with fear. He didn't want to die.

She took another step toward Damon and she stared up at him, pleading with her eyes for him to stop what he was doing. After everything he had shared with her, she knew that Tyler wasn't a threat. He wasn't going to try and hurt them. He could be a good ally and he deserved to live. "Please, Damon. Don't do this. He is on our side. He gave me his blanket so I wouldn't freeze to death."

"He can't be trusted, Bonnie. He's just trying to trick you."

"No. He's not." Bonnie placed a gentle hand on his arm, urging him to lower the sword.

Damon tugged his bottom lip between his teeth and knit his brows together as he stared over at the beautiful young woman. Her green eyes were filled with worry and anguish and he just wanted to do what would make her happy. That wasn't like him. He never cared about other people's happiness. But, he cared about her happiness.

"If you can't trust him, trust me." She said with a small smile.

He returned his attention to Tyler and he slowly started to lower the sword from his neck. He didn't trust him, but he knew that Bonnie did and she would never forgive him if he killed him.

With his sword at his side, he took a step toward Bonnie and his lips curled up into a sarcastic smile. He was agitated. He was jealous. He had abandoned his allies and went out into the forest in order to make sure she was safe and warm, and some other guy was already doing that for him. It caused his stomach to lurch back and forth and his heart to pound painfully in his chest.

"Okay, well, I was worried about you and I didn't know you already had _THIS_ guy protecting you." Damon shot a glare in Tyler's direction. "So, I brought you a few things I thought you might need." He pulled the bag off of his shoulder and he held it out to her. He was feeling stupid. He was feeling like he had made the wrong decision.

_'She was doing fine without me...' _He thought to himself.

"Sorry buddy, I didn't bring anything for you." He teased the District 2 tribute as he held out the throwing knives to Bonnie. That was when he realized that Tyler wasn't saying anything or moving. He was just standing and staring off into the distance with wide brown eyes. His skin pale and sickly. "Your friend doesn't look so good, Bon-Bon."

"Tyler...?" Bonnie's heart sunk and her stomach tangled into knots as she approached him. His lips were parted and his eyes were wide open. "Oh my god." She gasped when she realized that he had an arrow in his chest, going straight through his heart. Blood was pouring from his lips and he couldn't breathe. He was dying. She moved toward him and caught him as he stumbled to his knees.

As she cradled him in her arms, Damon started to search the trees for the person who killed him.

He spotted him, preparing his bow for another shot, and he gripped the throwing knife firmly in his hand before throwing it at the man. The knife pierced the tribute through the skull and he instantly died. Crumbling to the ground.

Two cannons sounded above. Signalling that two more had died.

It was only the first day and they had almost made it halfway. Damon knew that the games weren't even close to over though. This was when things got hard. This was when it was narrowed down to the strongest players. Plus, they were adding 24 new tributes into the arena once they reached the halfway point.

Tears were rolling down Bonnie's cheeks as she held Tyler's body close to her. She could feel his skin going cold. His brown eyes were focused on her and he was gasping for air. He looked like he was in immense pain. Her body was shaking and she was sobbing loudly as she muttered, "No. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. Just stay with me." Her voice cracked with the weight of emotions she was feeling.

She was overwhelmed.

Tyler tried his hardest to keep breathing, but he couldn't. His lungs were burning and blood was covering his face now. Finally, his heart gave out and his body convulsed before going limp in her arms.

"No!" Bonnie cried loudly. "No! Come back! Come back!" She shook him.

She thought about his father getting rid of all of Tyler's pictures and possessions because he felt dishonored. It made her cry even harder.

Damon knew that Bonnie was devastated by the young man's death, but he also knew that they couldn't stay there. They were vulnerable. And there was a good chance that the man he just killed had allies lurking around nearby. He leant down and placed a hand on her arm, causing her to stare into his eyes. "Come on, we have to get out of here. That guy could have allies nearby."

"We can't just leave him here." She said through sniffles. "What if he can be saved?"

"He can't be saved... He's gone."

_**'I Had A Conversation With A Dying Man,**_

_**He Said, "Life Passes Us By, In The Blink Of An Eye.'**_

He was torn.

He had told himself that he was only going to take the supplies to Bonnie and then he was going to return to the Cornucopia. That way he didn't destroy the alliance he had built. But, he didn't want to go back. He didn't want to leave her side. Especially not now.

Damon ran his fingers through dark curls and he stared down at the fragile woman laying on top of him. His arms were wrapped protectively around her body as she cried into his chest. His shirt was stained with her tears. Her compassion was breathtaking. She had hardly even known Tyler and yet his death had caused her so much pain. She truly was a beautiful and rare specimen.

He wanted to help her feel better, he just didn't know how.

This wasn't his area of expertise.

Damon Salvatore didn't do compassionate. He didn't do comforting. He did, when the going gets tough he gets the hell outta there.

Bonnie curled her fingers hard against his chest through the fabric of his shirt. Just the feeling of his fingers running through her hair and dancing along her spine was enough to help sooth her. She felt safe in his embrace. She loved the warmth of his body pressed against hers. She loved that he had come to find her and he had brought her supplies. It showed that he truly cared for her.

She just wished that Tyler was still alive. She wished that he was still with them. She wished that they could all survive the games.

Death was so difficult for her to wrap her mind around.

One second, Tyler was talking and laughing and the next he was gone. He would never smile again. He would never make his father proud. He would never find love or start a family. He would never do anything ever again.

Bonnie's crying had subsided, but she was still breathing heavily as she held onto Damon's shirt, pulling his body even closer to hers. "He didn't deserve to die." She breathed out shakily against his chest.

He furrowed his brow when she said the words. Honestly, he didn't know how to respond. His father had told him over and over all of his life that the weak deserved to die and only the strong survived. And going into the games he had believed that he was the strongest and he was the only one who would survive to the end.

The cave was still and the silence was suffocating.

It made her wonder if he believed Tyler deserved to die. It made her wonder about his upbringing and what had turned him into the man he was.

"Tell me about your parents." Bonnie spoke softly. She instantly felt Damon's muscles tense beneath her fingers when she brought up his parents.

"You don't wanna know about them." He insisted, glancing down at her and smirking playfully.

She knew he didn't want to talk about them, but she wanted to know. She wanted to know about his life. About his childhood. About his family. "Please?" She asked, green eyes landing on blue and a small smile tugging at her full lips.

Damon groaned out theatrically and threw back his head. He hated talking about his parents. "If you insist." He stated sarcastically with bitterness on his tongue. "There is my father, Giuseppe-coulda-woulda-shoulda-won the games-Salvatore. And then there is my mother dearest, Mary-Mary-quite-so-boozy-Salvatore, his wife."

Bonnie was shocked by how he talked about his parents. She couldn't imagine talking about her family in such a manner. Perplexity filled her eyes and she asked, "Your dad was in the games?"

He rolled his eyes and groaned again, "No. But, _IF HE WAS_ he would have won, and _IF HE WAS_ he would have scored a 12." Sometimes his father could be such a hypocrite. He always said that he would have done amazing in the games, but he had never made it in. Yet, he expected Stefan and Damon to make it into the games and win. "If we're gonna talk about our families I'm gonna need some booze." He teased with a waggle of his brow.

"Oh come on, don't be like that." She said. "I was just curious."

"I'm curious too." Damon's lips curled up mischievously. "Why don't you tell me about papa and mama Bennett?"

"I'd rather not." Bonnie said hesitantly. She knew that if she started talking about what happened with her father again, she would break down.

"See." He stretched. "It's not so fun to talk about sore subjects."

"Point made." She laughed a little and rested her head back on his chest.

Silence filled the air between them and Bonnie started to think. She started to think about losing Tyler. Losing her father. Losing Rue. She was terrified that she was going to lose everyone she cared about before the games were over. She could lose Marcel, Kol, Damon, or she herself could die. "We're going to die out here, aren't we?"

"Bonnie Bennett." Damon sang playfully. "You are quite the conversationalist."

She knew he was teasing her for being so negative, but she was having a hard time finding the positive. "I'm serious." She muttered. "We're all going to die just like Tyler did. All of us are. Marcel, Kol-" Bonnie paused mid-sentence when she felt his body go rigid the minute she mentioned Kol's name. He was jealous.

"Speaking of which." He said. "How's your "boyfriend" doing?" Damon said the word "boyfriend" with so much spite.

Bonnie was surprised that he hadn't heard about them "breaking up" already. "We broke up." She told him, feeling the weight of guilt on her shoulders. She knew that she needed to tell him the truth. She couldn't start any kind of relationship with him if it was based on lies.

"You should have started with that." His tone was suggestive. "We could have been doing _FAR_ more entertaining things than talking about dying."

She sighed and shook her head at him, giving up on having a serious conversation. It was impossible to talk to Damon Salvatore about anything serious. She just wanted to break through his walls and see something real from him. "Can't you be serious for five minutes?"

He pursed his lips and looked like he was thinking about it, then he smirked at her and said, "Probably not."

Bonnie groaned out and she started to sit up. She just wanted to have Damon give her a serious answer for once.

As she sat up, Damon sat up with her and gently held onto her arms, holding her in place. He didn't want her to move. He didn't want her to let go of him. He loved the way that her body felt against his. She took in a sharp breath as he pulled her body closer to his. Their faces only a few inches apart and his blue eyes staring directly into green. Bonnie saw sincerity and concern shimmering in his eyes.

"Do you really think I woulda come all the way out here with all of this stuff if I was gonna let you die?"

She shivered when she felt Damon's breath rush against her face. His words caused her heart to swell and a wide smile to stretch across her face. She couldn't believe that he had actually said them. That he had actually admitted to wanting to keep her alive. That was a _HUGE_ step.

Bonnie could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as she lost herself in Damon's beautiful eyes. She couldn't even remember how to breathe. Slowly, he reached up and his fingertips delicately danced along her jawline, leaving behind a trail of fire everywhere they touched. He tangled his fingers in her dark curls and he pulled her closer to him.

This time she didn't pull away.

She didn't have a "boyfriend."

She didn't want to stop.

Damon captured Bonnie's lips in a passionate kiss. She moaned out into his lips and she instantly felt her body react to the contact. Running her fingers against his toned chest, she gripped onto his shirt and pulled him even closer to her. Desperately needing more contact.

She had kissed many people in her life, but none of them compared to kissing him. He ignited a fire in her that she had never felt before. When Damon ran his tongue along her full bottom lip she gasped and opened her lips, allowing him to invade her mouth with his tongue. "Mm." Bonnie moaned out when she felt his tongue start a dance with her own. Her arousal was building between her thighs and she knew she wanted more. But, they were currently being watched by thousands of people.

Bonnie pulled out of the kiss, her chest heaving and her breathing ragged.

Damon's lips twisted up into a smirk after she pulled out of the kiss. He examined her face and he saw that her green eyes were dark with desire and her lips were swollen and covered in a mix of saliva. She looked like she wanted more, and he _DEFINITELY_ wanted more. He leant forward and whispered hotly against her lips, "Why'd ya stop, little bird?"

"Everyone is watching us."

"Let em' watch." He captured her lips again. Only this time, the kiss was slow and meaningful. He wanted to show her that he cared about her. That he felt things for her that he hadn't felt in a really long time.

_**'I've Seen The Storms She's Met, I've Seen The Tears In Secret Shed.**_

_**She Sees Me As An Eagle, Though I Am Just a Crow.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so much for reading! This chapter is longer than the last and filled with a lot of twists and turns! I really hope that y'all like it and y'all tell me what you think! :)) How do y'all feel about what happened with Tyler? It was very difficult for me to write. :( What about the conversation with Tyler and Bonnie before he died? And of course how did y'all like the Bamon!? Do you like where it's headed? Do you think they should have sex or stop? **

**Thank you guys again so much for reading this chapter and fic and all of your support! Y'all keep me writing and are SO wonderful!**

**I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	14. Weight Of The World

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Fourteen **

**Weight Of The World**

**_'Maybe It's Gravity, That Pulls Her To My Chest,_**

**_Not The Fear That She Is The Source, Of What Little Strength I've Got Left.'_**

The excitement and fire that each touch elicited, was almost enough to cause her to throw caution to the wind entirely.

Bonnie was internally divided. The rational side of her mind was screaming at her to tell Damon to stop. It was reminding her that her entire family was watching the games and she didn't want them to see her in such an intimate moment. And the other half of her mind was screaming at her to just give in and enjoy the pleasure while it lasted, before she died.

She had just watched an innocent and naive young man die, and she knew that despite Damon's encouraging words about keeping her alive, she might not make it out of the arena. She might die tomorrow. She might never get another chance to indulge in her desires.

Using his strength, he easily flipped the petite woman over, so that she was laying on her back and he was on top of her. His lips still moving against hers feverishly. His fingers tangled in her dark curls and he pulled her even closer to him as his tongue invaded her mouth and started a dance for dominance. She was moaning loudly against his lips as she memorized his mouth. She loved the way that his lips felt against hers, the way that he tasted, the way that his strong chest felt beneath her fingertips.

_'Your sisters and brothers and mom are watching right now! YOU NEED TO STOP THIS!'_

Damon playfully tugged Bonnie's full bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it, causing her to moan out and subconsciously lift her hips. Hoping to gain more friction between her thighs. Her clit was throbbing and she was aching with arousal and need for him.

Feeling his hard cock pressed against her through the fabric of their pants was enough to bring reality back to the situation. They were about to have sex on national television. In front of all of Panem. In front of the entire Capitol. It would be what they were remembered for, for the rest of their lives.

Bonnie pulled away from Damon and rested her head back against the ground of the cave. Her chest was heaving and a layer of sweat was covering her caramel skin. She certainly wasn't cold any longer. Her body felt like it was on fire. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest and she was trying her hardest to calm down and force her arousal away.

"Damon." She breathed out shakily. "We can't do this."

"Says who?" He teased with a waggle of his brow as he leant down and started to deliver heated kisses to the sensitive skin of her neck.

She hummed out pleasantly when she felt his lips against her neck. It felt amazing. "Mm... Damon, seriously." Bonnie tried to sound stern and serious, but her voice came out more like a moan. "I don't want my family to see this side of my life."

Damon's lips hovered over her ear and he whispered against it, "The cave is dark." Gently he sucked her earlobe between his teeth and he nibbled on it, causing her to groan out in pleasure and lift her hips again. She felt like she had no control over herself. She hated not being in control.

He trailed heated kisses along her neck and then he stopped at her pulse point and sucked the skin between his lips, hard.

"Shit." Bonnie gasped, digging her nails deep into the skin of his back through the fabric of his shirt. This only caused him to suck harder on her skin. She knew that he was going to leave a mark, but she didn't care. The pleasurable sensations shooting through her body would be worth it. Again, she found herself rocking her hips against him in search of more pressure.

Damon pulled his lips away from her neck and they curled up into a devilish smirk when he noticed the mark he had made.

Before he could return to what he was doing, she lifted one of her hands and she cupped his cheek with it, running her fingers through his disheveled hair. His blue eyes landed on hers and he cocked his head to the side curiously.

"You know as well as I do that the Capitol have cameras that can see in the dark." His smirk only stretched when she said that. It was almost like he found it exciting to be watched.

"What if I can promise you they won't see anything?" Damon asked.

"How are you going to do that?"

He leant back and picked up one of the blankets, pulling it up over his shoulders and her body. Bonnie laughed a little at how mischievous he looked in the moment. It was obvious that Damon Salvatore loved breaking the rules. It should have annoyed her, but it only excited her in that moment. Moving down on top of her, he covered both of their heads and their entire bodies with the blanket and then he returned his lips to the curve of her neck.

"Better?" He whispered.

"A little." She couldn't help but laugh. He was set on making this happen and she wasn't exactly complaining.

"Good." Damon started to kiss along her neck and she whimpered, leaning her head back to give him more access. He smirked against her skin and then when he reached her collarbone, he swiped his tongue along it before biting down hard on the bone. Bonnie stifled her moan when she felt his teeth sink into her. Her arousal was intensifying by the second. She could feel herself practically dripping down her legs.

_'How the hell does he do this to me!?' _

His fingers ghosted over her hipbones beneath the fabric of her shirt and she shivered. Everywhere his fingers touched left behind a trail of fire. Her stomach was flipping and her heart was pounding hard against her ribs.

One of Bonnie's hands twisted into Damon's dark hair as he moved down her body. She could feel herself subconsciously lifting her hips off of the ground.

He pushed his hand beneath her shirt, his fingers dancing along her toned abdomen as they made their way toward her breast. Tonight wasn't about him. It had been a long time since he had thought about a girl's pleasure over his. Usually, if he came before the girl he would tell her to finish herself off. He didn't care about them. But, Bonnie was different. He cared about her. He wanted her to feel pleasure a midst the tragedy and the pain. He wanted to taste her sweet arousal.

She gasped and moaned out when she felt his fingers brush along the sensitive skin beneath her bra. He pushed her bra up so that her breast was exposed to him, and then he cupped it in his hand. Biting down on her hipbone at the same time.

The pleasure that Bonnie felt in that moment was immense. It was almost unbearable. She lifted one of her arms to her mouth and she bit down on it to suppress the moans that were threatening to escape her throat. The Capitol and her family couldn't see her right now, and she didn't want them to hear her either. This was their moment. It was supposed to be private and personal.

Damon pulled back and his blue eyes twinkled with delight as he saw the impression of his teeth in the skin of her hip. He gently ran his tongue along the sore skin and then he moved to the button of her pants, tugging it open skillfully with his teeth.

This definitely wasn't his first time sleeping with someone.

He knew exactly what to do and how to touch her in order to drive her crazy.

Damon pulled the zipper to her pants down with his teeth and then he used his free hand to push them down over her hips and ass. He didn't take them off entirely. There was no need for what he was going to do. He twirled his fingers around her hard nipple, causing her body to quake, as he pushed her panties down her toned thighs.

He could already smell the scent of Bonnie's arousal all around him. It was intoxicating. He ran his tongue along his lips and his blue eyes darkened with desire as he stared down at her perfect womanhood. She was slick with arousal for him and he couldn't wait to taste her.

Green eyes landed on him and she watched him closely as he pushed her thighs open. He leant forward and started to trail heated kisses along the inside of one of her perfect thighs. Her skin tasted salty and sweet against his lips. He loved how she tasted. Just as he was about to reach her center, he moved to the other thigh and started to kiss it.

Bonnie was growing impatient. She was aching with arousal and she needed him to bring her to her climax.

She didn't know how much longer she could take the teasing.

When the blanket started to move, she quickly reached up and held it in place. Her other hand still tangled in his dark hair and pulling him closer to her. Urging him to please her. Damon's fingers continued to flick over her hard nipple, causing pleasure to shoot through her body. "Mm..." She moaned as quietly as possible.

He smirked, knowing that she was enjoying what he was doing. His arousal was becoming almost too much. Just knowing how aroused she was because of him was almost enough to push him over the edge.

Damon's lips were now hovering over Bonnie's heated center. She could feel his breath rushing against her clit and it caused her to shiver and lift her hips even higher, hoping to come into contact with his lips. But, he pulled back a little and laughed at her clear discomfort and sexual frustration. This time it was definitely "sexual" frustration. Though, he was pretty sure that it had always been sexual frustration.

He moved closer to her and dipped his tongue between her folds, running it along her throbbing clit.

Bonnie moaned out and dug her nails into his scalp, pulling him closer to her. He didn't give her the satisfaction of having him completely though, he wanted to tease her a little longer, so he pulled back. She whimpered.

Finally, Damon applied more pressure to her clit with his tongue, running it in circles around the sensitive bundle of nerves. He was dragging his nails along the inside of her toned thigh with his free hand, and his other hand was still teasing her nipple. The pleasure was overwhelming and Bonnie couldn't hold back the moans as she moved her hips against his tongue.

"Mm... God, Damon. That feels so good." She whispered, praying that the cameras wouldn't pick it up.

_'Why am I doing this!? This is so embarrassing... But GOD IT FEELS SO GOOD!'_

Bonnie's words of encouragement only urged him on. He sucked her clit between his lips and he started to swirl his tongue around it, moving faster and applying just the right amount of pressure to cause her body to spasm and waves of pleasure to rush over her. She pulled him closer to her by his hair and she rocked her hips against his face, biting down hard on her bottom lip in an attempt to not moan as loud as she wanted.

"Mm... Yes." She moaned.

He sped up the pace of his tongue and he continued to circle her nipple with his fingers.

She could feel herself getting close. She had never felt such intense pleasure in her life and she hated that she had to be quiet. "Mm... Right there, Damon." Bonnie whimpered. "I'm so close."

Leaning her head back she closed her eyes and secured the blanket with her hand to make sure that no one could see what was happening. She knew that most people would figure it out, but at least her little brothers and sisters wouldn't understand.

Damon sucked down harder on her clit and swirled his tongue around it a few more times and that was all it took. Bonnie came undone. Her body started to shake and she dug her nails deep into the back of his neck, undoubtedly drawing blood, but he didn't stop his movements. If anything it only turned him on more. He was moaning now, vibrating her clit. There was something so sexy to him about the way that her body was reacting to him.

Her body continued to convulse as waves of pleasure shot through her. She was moaning as quietly as she could as she reached her climax.

Finally, her body went limp and she fell back against the cave floor, breathing heavily. She was so exhausted, she could barely open her eyes. Bonnie had never felt anything like that before. There was this connection with Damon that had been missing with other guys she had been with. She actually had feelings for him.

It both terrified and excited her.

Damon slowly removed his hand from her breast and he started to kiss up her body before finally hovering over her, his blue eyes connected with green. She could see the deviousness behind them. His lips curled up into a smirk and he stroked one of her curls out of her face, "See. No one saw _ANYTHING._"

"I think they'll put two and two together." Bonnie laughed.

"Probably." Leaning down, he captured her lips in a slow and meaningful kiss, cupping her cheek lovingly in his hand.

She was surprised by how gentle he was being. She hadn't expected him to be that kind of guy. _'Then again, I never thought he would be the snuggling type either...' _Bonnie hummed pleasantly against his lips and then her hand slowly started to make it's way down over his toned abdomen toward his pants. She wanted to please him the same way he had pleased her.

Her fingers stroked his hard cock through the fabric of his pants and it caused Damon to pull out of the kiss. As aroused as he was and as badly as he wanted her, he wanted tonight to be about her pleasure. "Ah. Ah." He waggled his finger at her and slowly removed her hand from his member.

"Tonight isn't about me. It's about you." His smirk stretched. "Besides, you're gonna need your rest for the morning and it looks like I wore you out." He waggled his brow playfully and leant down to capture her lips again.

_**'We Are Told To Watch Others Live Our Dream,**_

_**So, We All Sit Staring At The Screens.'**_

"Looks like Damon is putting that stamina you taught him to good use, dad." Stefan stated sarcastically as he leant back into the cushions of the couch. He had to look away from the television screen. It was too awkward to watch his brother have sex with someone, even if they were covered up. Plus, the announcer's commentary was ridiculous.

His father had been screaming for a while now. He was infuriated by not only the fact that Damon was having sex with a District 11 tribute, but also by what he had said about him on national television.

Often times his brother would make fun of their father, but this was different.

This time it was in front of all of Panem.

"Shut your mouth, Stefan!" Giuseppe shouted, waving his cane at his son. Stefan wasn't fazed in the slightest and his smirk remained on his lips. He believed everything that Damon had said about their parents was true.

The older man turned and glared violently at his wife who was pouring herself a drink. She was already on her third glass. "Who does that son of YOURS think he is!?"

Mary laughed and downed the glass, turning to look at Stefan who was sitting on the couch next to her. "He's always MY son when he does something wrong."

"No son of mine would go on national television and slander my good name!" Giuseppe insisted, taking a step toward her. She instantly turned to look at him again. The alcohol in her system made it easier to deal with his harshness. That was why she had started drinking so heavily in the first place. "Damon knows damn well that I would have won the games! And I SURE AS HELL wouldn't have gotten a pathetic score of 11!"

He turned to look back at the television and his face contorted in disgust. "And who the hell is this District 11 slut!? I get screwing around and everything, but can't he have some fucking standards!?"

Stefan had tuned out of what his father was saying. His mind was on the Reaping they were having in a few hours. Usually they only had one a year, but this year there would be another for the Quarter Quell. Two more tributes from each district would be entering the games. And they would be entering them soon. 10 people had already died in the arena and after 2 more died they would enter.

He just hoped that it wasn't him.

As much as he wanted to go to the games, this would be the worst case scenario. He would be in the games the same year as his brother and that would mean that one of them would have to die. They couldn't both win. Just the thought of his brother dying at his hand made him sick. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do it.

"She got a fucking score of 7 for Christ's sake!" Giuseppe slammed his cane against the lamp on the table next to his wife. It smashed the glass and sent it flying across the room. He was breathing heavily and he looked like he could kill. "She is obviously screwing him just so he'll protect her in the games! Why can't he see that!?"

Stefan doubted that.

The honest truth was, it was probably Damon taking advantage of the poor girl.

Though, he had seen something strange before they started being intimate with each other. He had seen true compassion from his older brother. He had watched Damon abandon his allies and bring supplies to the District 11 tribute. He had seen the love in his eyes and it was nice to see again. He hadn't seen that in a long time. _'Not since Katherine...'_

"You know what?" Giuseppe laughed and walked toward Stefan. "I actually hope that your name gets picked at the Quarter Quell Reaping, that way you can go into that arena and show that brother of yours the true meaning of the Salvatore name."

_'Is he suggesting I kill Damon?' _Stefan was horrified.

"Oh, come on Giuseppe. You don't mean that." Mary slurred. She reached out and patted Stefan's hand and told him, "He doesn't mean that, Stefan. He's just upset."

"I DO mean it!" He proclaimed seriously. "I only wish I could enter the games and kill that bastard myself!"

_**'The Devil You Know,**_

_**Is Better Than The Ghost You Don't.'**_

"GOD DAMN IT, TYLER!" His father screamed at the top of his lungs as he threw his son's belongings across his room. He picked up his computer and he smashed it on the ground. He threw all of the trophies out the window, and tore his plaques off of the walls. "YOU ARE SUCH A FUCKING DISGRACE!" He grabbed his photos off the shelves and shattered them on the ground.

"JUST." He threw another picture, tears springing to his eyes. "LIKE." Another picture. "YOUR MOTHER!"

His body was shaking as he moved toward the bed and he started to throw his pillows and blankets around the room. He was so angry. He felt so ashamed to call himself a Lockwood. His family had been such a disappointment.

Tyler hadn't even made it to the halfway mark.

He had died because he let his guards down JUST like he had told him not to.

As he slammed the pillow into the wall he watched as something fell out of the pillowcase and floated through the air toward the floor. He knelt down and picked up the small piece of paper, looking at it.

It wasn't a piece of paper though.

It was a photograph.

"I thought I got rid of all of the pictures of her..." He whispered sadly. He felt like he was suffocating as he stared down at the photograph. It was a picture of him and his wife. She was holding Tyler a few weeks after he was born. Both of them had wide smiles on their faces. He could remember how happy he was the day that his son was born. How he was looking forward to a long life with his wife.

Tears started to free-fall from his eyes and his body crumbled to the floor. He no longer had the strength to sit up. He didn't have the strength to go on.

He had lost everything.

He had missed out on all of the special moments in Tyler's life.

He had missed his life entirely. All for a game. All for his pride.

_**'All Of My Color Is Bleeding Away,**_

_**So Now You Watch Me, Fade Into The Endless Grey.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so much for all of your wonderful support and your reviews for this fic! I'm happy that y'all like it as much as you do! Y'all keep me writing and encouraged and I love you all for that! I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter! A lot of people didn't want Bamon sex... but some people did, so I decided on a middle ground! Hopefully y'all enjoy it and the smut is decent! I know it's weird to comment on smut sometimes but I wanna know your thoughts on it! Anywho! How did you feel about this chapter!? Did you like the Bamon!? How do you feel about Stefan and Damon's dad? What about Stefan's worries? And Katherine? Excited to find out more about that!? Also, Tyler's dad?**

**The next few chapters should get back into the game! I promise more of all of the characters! And of course more Bamon!**

**Thank you so much for reading! I love you guys!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


	15. The Walking Dead

**The Hunger Games**

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

**Chapter Fifteen**

**The Walking Dead**

**_'I See The Vultures Over Head,_**

**_They Are Circling For, The Walking Dead.'_**

"Mm..." She hummed as the warmth of the sun painted the pale skin of her face. She could see the bright light behind her eyelids and she could feel the mild summer breeze rustling her blonde curls.

The morning had come.

She had survived the first day of the hunger games.

Letting out a loud yawn, she stretched her limbs and pushed herself up into a seated position. Her blue eyes were filled with sleep as they fluttered open and she stared over at Enzo who was curled up in a blanket at her feet. His dark hair was messy and he was snoring softly. Extending her foot, she pushed his shoulder with it in an attempt to wake him from his slumber.

His dark eyes landed on Caroline and he groaned out, covering his head with the blanket.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. Leaning over, she pulled the blanket off of his head and she flashed him a wide toothy grin, "Come on, time to wake up sleepyhead."

"Five more minutes." Enzo insisted, his accent deep and thick.

Caroline threw her head back dramatically when he said that he wanted to sleep for a few more minutes. She couldn't sleep any longer and she was starting to get antsy. This wasn't what the games were supposed to be. They weren't supposed to be hiding out in the Cornucopia and "living the good life," they were supposed to be out in the forest killing people and fending for their lives.

What honor could they possibly have if they just hid out the entire time and waited for everyone else to die?

That wasn't what her mother had done in the games. She had fought for the title.

"I can't wait five more minutes!" Caroline whined, pulling her hair back up into a tight ponytail. "I can't spend one more second hiding out in this Cornucopia, doing nothing! We need to get out there and speed up the pace of this game!"

Enzo sat up instantly when he heard that she was ready to head out into the forest and start killing. That had been what he had been waiting for. His lips curled up into a devious smirk and his dark eyes twinkled excitedly. "I like the way you think, sweetheart." His brow furrowed and he nodded in the direction behind her, "Where the bloody hell is Damon?"

Her blue eyes widened and filled with worry as she quickly turned to look at the spot where Damon had been sleeping the previous night.

He was nowhere to be found.

Standing to her feet she walked toward the spot and chewed on her bottom lip as she examined it. It didn't look like someone swept in and kidnapped him, or killed him, during the night. It looked deliberate. Damon's blankets were missing and some food, clothes, and one of the bags. "Hm..." Caroline hummed, heading toward the weapons they had obtained and looking through them. She had a strong feeling that she knew exactly where he had headed.

_'Would he really betray me and our ENTIRE district all for that girl from District 11?' _She couldn't believe it.

Damon Salvatore was known for making stupid decisions, but even he wasn't capable of something so stupid. Or, at least she hoped that he wasn't. He was risking his chances of winning the games and he was dishonoring his family and district.

"Do you think someone, or rather, some THING, dragged him off in the middle of the night?" Enzo wondered curiously, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew how the Gamemakers were. If the games were going too smoothly, they loved to throw in twists and turns to break up alliances and cause mayhem.

She shook her head. "I don't think so. Not unless they gave him time to pack his bag and take some weapons."

"Perhaps he was feeling a tad cooped up and he had the same thought as you did." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "He could have easily got a head start on the games? He seemed eager to kill when he asked me to join forces with the two of you."

"Maybe."

Caroline wanted to believe that he was just out in the forest killing people. She wanted to believe that he hadn't abandoned their alliance all for a girl he hardly knew. She continued to sift through their weapons and that was when she noticed that the throwing knives were missing. _'Bonnie uses throwing knives...' _"Or, maybe not."

"What did you find?" Enzo asked.

She ignored him completely. "Just as I suspected!" _'Damn it, Damon!'_

"Care to fill me in on what your thinking in that pretty blonde head of yours?"

"Just get your things." Caroline commanded, pulling a bag of supplies over her shoulder and equipping her quiver. "We need to go and find that dumb-ass before he makes a _HUGE_ mistake he can't take back." She moved toward her bow and picked it up. She didn't know why she felt such concern for Damon. She didn't know why she cared so much.

_'Because, he's Stefan's brother... He told me to keep him safe...'_

Enzo gripped his ax firmly in his hands and his smirk stretched clear across his face, "He went after that District 11 lass, eh?"

"For his sake, I sure as hell hope not. Come on." She started moving out of the Cornucopia with her bow equipped. Listening closely for any sign of other tributes, she moved cautiously across the long expanse of grass, heading for the trees. Her eyes were open wide and scanning every inch of land. The British man from District 4 was directly on her heels.

An intense silence filled the air between the two of them.

Caroline was in concentration mode. She needed to find her partner and knock some sense into him.

Her ears twitched when she heard leaves rustling in a nearby bush. She held up a hand, signalling for Enzo to stop dead in his tracks. He did as he was instructed and he looked to the bush with inquisitive eyes. His grip tightened on the handle of the ax and he clenched his jaw.

Lifting the bow, she steadied it and drew back an arrow. One of her eyes closed so that she could focus intently on whatever was moving in the bush. She didn't want to shoot before she knew that it was an enemy. For all she knew, it could be Damon. Letting out a breath she watched as the figure moved swiftly through the bushes. One of her curls fell from her ponytail and twisted in front of her eye, but she ignored it. Her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

Suddenly, a District 12 tribute darted out of the bushes with a throwing knife in hand.

Caroline narrowly dodged the knife as it flew through the air in her direction.

Somehow, she managed to get out of the way just in time and release her arrow. The District 12 tribute had no chance. Her eyes widened as the arrow pierced through her heart and blood started to spurt from her mouth. She was coughing loudly as she internally bled to death. The blonde didn't even flinch as she watched the woman crumble to the ground.

She had been hunting all her life. This was a game. She had to do what she had to do to stay alive.

"Nice shot, love." Enzo said with an impressed look on his face.

Caroline turned and smiled widely at him. She felt proud of herself. "Thanks!"

_**'We're On Borrowed Time, But Time Isn't Enough.**_

_**I'm Just Trying To Be, The Best Man I Can Be.'**_

"You look like an idiot." Marcel said, shaking his head and laughing at the young man walking beside him. His dark hair was unruly and sticking up in every direction, he had mud smeared across his face and all over his arms and a wide grin on his lips. He looked so smug and satisfied with his knowledge of camouflage.

For the last few hours Kol had been "sneaking" around the forest as they searched for Bonnie. He looked absolutely ridiculous and it was evident that he was simply enjoying his time in the arena. He didn't show any signs of fear. He was just having fun.

"At least I'm not a dead idiot." He countered playfully.

"Hm." He visibly thought about it. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, neither am I."

"Would you care to be?" Kol asked with a waggle of his brow and a skip in his step. He wielded his sword and pointed it in Marcel's direction, but they both knew that he wasn't going to hurt him. He had saved his life.

"Would you?" Marcel shot back with a smirk.

A cannon sounded loudly overhead and they both turned to look up at the sky. Worry shimmering in their eyes. They had been searching all day and night for any sign of Bonnie and they still hadn't found her. Neither of them would say it out loud, but they were both terrified that she was already dead.

_'Please let her still be alive...' _Marcel thought, sending up a prayer to the Heavens.

"Don't worry, mate." The British man said, patting him encouragingly on the shoulder. "If we're having such a difficult time finding her, I'm sure everyone else is as well."

"I hope so." He sighed and started to move faster through the forest. "I just wish that I could see her again and know that she's okay." The guilt that he felt was suffocating him. Marcel had promised Bonnie that he would look out for her and keep her safe and so far he was doing a terrible job of it. _'Where the hell could she be? I feel like we've looked everywhere...'_

"I'm sure she's safe." Kol said. "That girl is a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for."

It was true.

Bonnie Bennett was one of the strongest people he knew.

She had been through more than most in such a short lifetime. She had lost her father, her grandmother, her little sister, and she had done everything possible to take care of her family and keep food on the table. Emotionally, she was strong. Physically, she was strong. But, she was also compassionate and caring and that could be her downfall in the games.

Marcel worried about if she would be strong enough to take someone's life.

"I'm gonna get a better view." He told Kol. Every once in a while he would climb up into the trees and see if he could spot her.

Crouching down, he prepared himself, and then he ran toward one of the trees and flipped up into the high branch with ease. He was now hovering at least ten feet above the other man who was staring up at him and smiling. "I'll just wait down here, if you don't mind!" He laughed.

"Just be sure to keep up." Marcel said. With that, he launched himself from one tree branch to the next, searching the ground as he flew through the sky. Keeping his eyes open for any sign of Bonnie or possible threats. Below, Kol was managing to keep up with his pace as he ran through the forest.

_'Wow. That's crazy. His camouflage actually works! I can barely see him.' _Of course, he would never tell him that.

_**'It Was A Cold Night,**_

_**We Laid With Each Other Just To Stay Warm.'**_

Her fingers curled against his chest and her lips curved up into a smile as she snuggled against the warmth of his body. Her long dark hair was splayed out all over his chest, tickling the sensitive skin of his neck. But, he didn't mind. He was more than content. His blue eyes were fixed on her beautiful face as she hummed peacefully in her sleep.

Damon's heart was pounding rapidly in his chest as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. He felt so anxious. It had been such a long time since he had felt anything like this, and it was frightening. The last time that he truly enjoyed just laying with a woman curled up in his arms was with Katherine. He had thought that she loved him. He had thought that she was his one and only. And she had proved him wrong. She had ripped out his heart and stomped all over it, leaving him with nothing.

Incapable of love.

Incapable of feeling remorse.

But, Bonnie was different from Katherine. She didn't seem to have a malicious bone in her body. _'If Katherine was here she sure as hell would have killed that Tyler kid herself... Bonnie isn't like that... She sees the good in everyone. Even me.' _

He twisted his index finger into one of her curls and pulled on it, watching it bounce back into place and smack her in the face. She scrunched up her face and lifted a hand to swipe the bothersome curl away. Damon smirked and pulled on the curl again, watching it bounce back and hit her in the face. This time, Bonnie groaned out in annoyance and again swiped it away.

He did it again.

This time, emerald eyes fluttered open and she glared up at him. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Because." Damon stated childishly.

"Stop." Bonnie grumbled, burying her head in the warmth of his chest and snuggling close to him. She wasn't ready to get up. She didn't want to face the harsh world outside. She didn't want to face the games. She just wanted to hide out forever in the safety of his embrace.

"Good morning to you too." He said with a waggle of his brow.

"Morning."

Bonnie's head snapped up when she heard a cannon sound outside of the cave.

It was a reality check.

_'Oh god, that could be Marcel or Kol... I have to get out there and find them, I can't just lay here all day!' _She moved away from Damon and she pushed herself up into a kneeling position, panic written across her face. She was doing exactly what Marcel had warned her not to do. She was letting relationships and romance cloud her judgement. This was a life or death situation.

"Eleven down." Damon stated callously. "One to go."

Bonnie hated how uncaring he seemed about the fact that someone else had died. But, she also knew that he was right. After one more person died, twenty-four new tributes would be thrown into the arena and things would get even more complicated. _'I have to find Marcel and Kol before that happens.'_

She moved to get up, but he reached out and gently grabbed onto her wrists, stopping her.

"Where do you think you're going?" His blue eyes widened and his lips curled playfully. He pulled her body back down on top of his and he captured her lips in a slow and passionate kiss. The kiss took Bonnie's breath away and she moaned out into his soft lips. They felt amazing against hers. Her heart started to pound loudly in her chest and her stomach filled with butterflies, but she couldn't give in. She had to be strong. She had to find her friends.

"Damon..." She reprimanded, pulling out of the kiss.

"Just a few more minutes." Damon whined theatrically, his brows knit together and a pout on his lips.

"Marcel and Kol are out there on their own and they might not have a few more minutes." Bonnie said, pushing herself off of him and standing to her feet. She immediately missed the warmth and safety of his arms. She missed the way that his lips felt against hers. The way that he set fire to her skin wherever he touched her. But, she couldn't be selfish. Not right now. She had made a promise to protect Marcel, just like he had made a promise to protect her.

For all she knew, Damon could have been sent to distract her while Caroline and Enzo killed off her allies.

The thought caused her stomach to lurch back and forth.

He sighed and threw his head to the side, "You're no fun."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at him as she flung her bags over her shoulder. She didn't have many supplies left after helping Tyler, but she still had enough if there was an emergency. She picked up the throwing knives Damon had brought for her and she put them in her belt. She could hear him groaning and grumbling as he finally climbed out of bed and started to pick up his things.

He rolled up the blankets and stuffed them back into his bag and then he tossed the bag over his shoulders. He grabbed his sword and then he made his way across the cave toward the beautiful young woman from District 11.

She could feel the heat of his body pressed against her back and a blush rushed along her caramel skin.

Her heart was racing.

Damon placed his free hand on her small hip and he pulled Bonnie's body flush against his. Leaning down, he delicately kissed her shoulder and then smiled, whispering hotly against her ear, "I just wanted a few more minutes alone with you. Is that _SO_ terrible?"

Bonnie shivered when she felt his breath rush against the skin of her neck. Her body felt like it was on fire and she was aching to just give in to him and enjoy their morning together, but she had to find her friends. "No. It's not." She admitted. "It's actually surprisingly sweet of you, but it just has to wait for now. I have to find my partner."

His body tensed as he thought about Caroline.

"Speaking of which, where's your partner?" She asked with a furrow of her brow.

Damon chewed on his cheeks as he thought about the blonde. He knew that he had destroyed his alliance with her. He knew that his father was pissed right now. "I don't think she's gonna want to be my partner anymore." He said with a forced smiled and a waggle of his brow.

"Because you came after me?"

"Yep." He said with a playful pop of the p. "Come on, let's go find your partner." He intentionally left out mentioning Kol. He wasn't excited for the "lovebirds" to be reunited with each other. He was terrified that she might choose to go back to her ex-boyfriend. _  
><em>

Bonnie followed him out of the cave. She was sort of surprised by how upset he was about Caroline not being his partner any longer. The two of them practically hated each other. They were allies, not friends. Not like Marcel and her. _'Who knows, maybe Caroline will surprise him like Tyler surprised me? Maybe she will understand his feelings...'_

An uncomfortable silence filled the air between them.

Neither of them knew what to say. Last night they had been intimate with each other, but they weren't quite sure about their feelings or what they wanted out of a relationship. They were both from such different worlds that an actual relationship seemed nearly impossible.

"I shoulda known you'd be with him." A familiar voice shouted from above.

Bonnie looked shocked for a minute and then she stared up into the trees with a wide smile of relief and happiness. Staring down at her was her partner. They had finally found each other. She was overwhelmed with emotions and she could feel tears shimmering in her eyes. She had been so scared that he was dead.

Marcel did a flip from the trees and he landed in front of the two of them with open arms and a warm inviting smile. "Miss me?"

"Oh my God, Marcel!" She exclaimed excitedly. Running toward him, she jumped on top of him and wrapped her arms tight around his neck. His smile widened and he twirled her around in a circle, holding her up in the air. "I'm so happy to see you. I was so scared that..." Her voice trailed off as she stared down into his brown eyes.

"What about me?" Kol asked with a smirk, his arms held open. "No one happy to see that I'm still alive and kicking?"

_'Kol?' _Bonnie glanced over Marcel's shoulder and she saw the British man standing there with his arms open. He had mud smeared all over his body and his hair was a mess.

Damon watched her get excited and run over to him and he crossed his arms over his chest, rolling his eyes. His stomach was lurching back and forth jealously and he was starting to feel like he didn't belong. He felt like an outsider looking in on an intimate moment.

She paused before hugging Kol and looked him over with perplexed eyes, "Why do you look like that?"

"Did no one else spend any time at the camouflage station!?"

They all started to laugh. Oblivious to the dangers of the world around them. Oblivious to Damon who was watching jealously. He wanted to be a part of Bonnie's life like they were. He wanted her to be as excited to see him. _'Maybe someday...'_

"_SERIOUSLY,_ Damon!?"

He was dragged out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar, irritating, voice. _'Caroline...?' _He furrowed his brow and glanced over at the blonde who was standing with Enzo. She looked furious and he looked prepared to slaughter them all. Damon drew his sword and prepared for a fight. He knew that they wouldn't forgive him for his betrayal.

Bonnie was watching the blonde closely now, preparing to attack. Marcel and Kol both standing protectively in front of her.

Caroline ignored them all. She wasn't scared of them. Her blue eyes were fixed on Damon as she spoke, "This better all be part of our plan, Damon, or so help me God I will kill you myself!"

_'Plan? What plan?' _Bonnie wondered, staring over at Damon. He looked like a chicken with it's head cut off. He was staring between the two girls and trying to think of what to say. He didn't know how to explain his actions. She clenched her jaw tightly as memories of the previous night filled her head. She could recall the way that he touched her and every intimate moment. _'Was that all just a plan?'_

"What plan?" She asked.

Damon swallowed hard and looked away from her. "It's nothing."

"Is that so?" Caroline scoffed. "Well, Bonnie, if you really want to know what the plan was, I'll tell you."

"Caroline-" Damon started.

"-What Damon!? She deserves to know the plan if you guys are gonna start dating or whatever, right!?" She laughed sarcastically. Everything was falling apart for her. Nothing was going as expected and she hated it. "You see, Damon and I had this _WONDERFUL_ little plan to kill you. We figured he could seduce you and have sex with you and then your guards would be down in the games. You'd. Never. See. It. Coming." She grinned.

Bonnie's chest felt painfully tight. She couldn't breathe. Tears were filling her eyes and she felt sick. Had he just wanted to sleep with her in order to kill her? "Is that true?" She whispered.

Damon scrunched up his face and looked away from her. He couldn't deny that it was true, but he had developed feelings for her. He didn't want her to die. She had to know that right?

"Oh, it's true alright." Caroline insisted, she lifted her bow and steadied it, aiming the arrow directly at Damon. She had her jaw clenched tightly and her muscles were tense. "Now, I'm giving you one more chance to change your mind, Damon. Kill her and come back to us, or I will kill you."

Bonnie's heart felt like it was going to break through her rib cage as she stared between the two District 1 tributes. She didn't know what to think anymore. She wanted to believe that he cared about her, but maybe he didn't. Maybe it was always just about sex for him. Maybe it was just about the game. Maybe he would choose to kill her and return to his allies.

Damon's blue eyes landed on Bonnie and they held sorrow in them. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, but he didn't know how. He had never been good at apologizing. He looked back at his partner and he took a step toward her, his hands in the air showing that he wasn't planning to attack. "Come on, Blondie. Can't we just talk about this like two rational adults?"

"You? Rational?"

"Point made." He smirked. "But, come on, for old times' sake?"

"Pick, Damon."

"You can't _POSSIBLY_ expect me to-"

Caroline released the arrow and it started to fly toward him. She was done listening to him make excuses for his behavior. He had betrayed them, he had betrayed their district, and he was refusing to kill Bonnie. So, she would have to. She would have to kill them all.

_**'Hell Had You By The Throat,**_

_**You Never Got To Heaven, But You Got Real Close.'**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note :<strong>

**Thank you all so much for reading and all of your support! Y'all are seriously so wonderful! I love you all! I'm kind of nervous about this chapter because I have been up for a long time and I hope there aren't too many grammar and spelling errors! I hope that y'all like it! :)) How did you guys like this chapter? Did you enjoy the Caroline/Enzo moments? How do you feel about them right now? I can tell you they will be getting new allies come the halfway point! ;) Did you like the Kol/Marcel moments? What about the Bamon!? Do you think Damon is starting to really fall for her? What will happen now that the truth is out though? And Caroline shot Damon!? **

**The next chapter will be VERY intense! You have been warned. :)) **

**Thank you so much for reading! I love you all so much!**

**-Tracy Cook-**


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